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A northwest Idaho community is still reeling after a 20-year-old man was suspected of fatally shooting two firefighters and injuring another after intentionally starting a fire to ambush them.
Battalion Chiefs John Morrison and Frank J. Harwood were killed in the June 29 attack on Canfield Mountain in Coeur d’Alene. Firefighter/engineer David Tysdal was seriously wounded and remains hospitalized.
Authorities identified the suspect as Wess Roley. Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said it appeared he had been living in his car, and authorities did not know why he was in the area. Roley, who dreamed of becoming a firefighter himself, was found dead on the mountain from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Who is Wess Roley?
Norris said Roley grew up in an arborist family, telling reporters that the family climbed trees. An arborist is a trained professional in the care and management of trees and woody plants.
“We did have reports that he was shooting at first responders via a tree,” he said Monday at a news conference.
Court documents show that Roley may have had a tumultuous childhood. In 2015, his mother, Heather Lynn Cuchiara, sought an order of protection against her then-husband and Roley’s father, Jason Roley.
The documents allege that Jason Roley pushed her to the ground and made threatening remarks about “waiting outside with a sniper rifle.” Cuchiara expressed concerns about drugs and two guns in his home and asked that the order of protection include Wess Roley, who was about 10 years old at the time.
Authorities said the 20-year-old had ties to California, Arizona and Idaho. It’s unclear why he was in the area.
Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and the Coeur d’Alene Police Department had five interactions with Roley, according to Norris. He described the interactions as “very minor in nature” and said they had to do with trespassing and “some welfare checks.” One welfare check was made after Roley’s car was found parked outside a restaurant “where he appeared to be residing,” Norris said.
“He was asked to leave and he complied,” he told reporters. None of the welfare checks came from relatives, according to the sheriff. Roley did not have any criminal history.
Roley’s parents could be reached for comment. In a statement released Monday night via an attorney, the family said they “do not understand why this happened or how this came about.”
“There are no words that can suffice for this tragedy and the infinite losses suffered by those affected by this shooting,” they said. “Our hearts and spirits are broken for the lost and hurting, and for our own loss as well. We intend to fully cooperate with authorities in seeking answers.”
Roley’s grandfather, Dale Roley, said he believes “something must have snapped” for his grandson to have committed such a heinous act, especially against firefighters, because he always dreamed of becoming one.
“He actually really respected law enforcement,” he told NBC News. “He loved firefighters. It didn’t make sense that he was shooting firefighters. Maybe he got rejected or something.”
Authorities said they have not found a manifesto and don’t have any indication of a motive.
Norris said investigators are aware of Roley’s interest in becoming a firefighter but have not found any applications with local agencies or a statement of intent.
Dale Roley said his grandson could be “high-strung” and “kind of a loner.” He attributed it to “normal issues for kids these days,” but T.J. Franks Jr., Roley’s former roommate, knew something was off.
“Towards the end, he started acting a little weird, and I don’t know why. But we just explained to him that we needed our own space,” he told The Associated Press.
Roley lived with Franks in Sandpoint, Idaho, for about six months. He moved out in January.
Franks described an incident where he said security cameras at his apartment caught Roley making gang signs, which concerned Franks.
“He left peacefully,” he said. “He just left.”
Norris said it appears that Roley had been living in his car before the shooting. He was found dead on the mountain from what authorities believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Fire was intentionally set, investigators say
Authorities have said they believe Roley intentionally set the blaze to ambush firefighters. He was found with a flint starter and a shotgun, according to Norris.
“We believe that was his method for starting the fire that eventually led to firefighters responding,” he said at the news conference.
A man called to report the fire at about 1:20 p.m. local time. Norris said the caller did not use Roley’s name.
Roley and the responding firefighters interacted about where Roley’s vehicle was parked. Norris said that the interaction is still being investigated.
As of Monday night, the Nettleton Gulch Fire had grown to 26 acres. Firefighters were putting water on it from the air and expect to have a containment line soon.
Norris said authorities are slowly making progress with the blaze “because it’s very difficult terrain to get ground assets up there.”
Slain firefighters were ‘dedicated to their community’
The International Association of Fire Fighters union identified the slain firefighters as Coeur d’Alene Fire Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank J. Harwood.
Morrison began his career with the Coeur d’Alene department in 1996. He held the ranks of firefighter engineer, captain, battalion chief, and was also a longtime paramedic.
“He has served the city of Coeur d’Alene and this community for over 28 and a half years,” Coeur d’Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif said at a news conference.
According to Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way, Harwood had been with the Kootenai agency for 17 years. He was also an Army National Guard combat engineer, Way said, describing him as “a leader in our organization.”
He was married with two children.
“This loss is felt by so many,” he said.
“This community lost two dedicated public servants,” Gabe Eckert, president of the Coeur d’Alene Firefighters’ union, said at a news conference. “These men were dedicated firefighters; they were dedicated to their community. These guys were hard workers. They loved their families.”
A procession of emergency vehicles for the firefighters will take place on Tuesday.
Wounded firefighter is ‘fighting for his life’
Coeur d’Alene firefighter/engineer David Tysdal was seriously wounded and “is currently fighting for his life and recovery,” the union said in a message shared by the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.
Coeur d’Alene Fire Chief Tom Greif said Tysdal had two successful surgeries. In a statement read by the chief, Tysdal’s wife thanked the community for their love and support.
“He is able to open his eyes, and the two surgeries have gone well,” she said.
