The person who authorities consider fatally shot two Idaho firefighters earlier than killing himself had as soon as tried to enter the army and left a notice addressed to his father wherein he wrote he would “go into battle,” the Kootenai County sheriff mentioned Tuesday.
Wess Roley, 20, set a brush hearth on Canfield Mountain close to Coeur D’Alene on June 29 after which opened hearth on responding firefighters, authorities mentioned, in what they’ve described as an ambush. He later killed himself.
Roley had tried to enter the U.S. Military in Arizona in 2023 and once more in Idaho in 2024, however he by no means adopted by on appointments and was disqualified, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned in a information convention Tuesday.
He’d additionally entered a Coeur d’Alene hearth station in Might and requested about turning into a firefighter, believing he’d have the ability to begin that day, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris mentioned.
When instructed there was a course of, together with assessments and interviews, Roley grew to become pissed off, and “it was described to us as he left there in a really, very pissed off and agitated state,” Norris mentioned.
A handwritten letter was present in Roley’s truck addressed to his father, Norris mentioned at Tuesday’s information convention. Investigators discovered a drawing at his house of somebody with what gave the impression to be a shotgun with the phrases “kill kill kill,” he mentioned.
“Tomorrow I shall go into battle, if I survive it might be with utmost dishonor,” the letter discovered within the truck reads partially, Norris mentioned, displaying a picture of the doc. The letter additionally learn, “I bid thee farewell.”
At round 1 p.m. the day of the taking pictures, Roley “dedicated arson by lighting a sequence of fires to provoke a response from native hearth departments,” Norris mentioned.
At round 1:40 p.m. firefighters requested Roley to maneuver his truck and “the contact is being described as confrontational,” Norris mentioned.
At round 1:50 p.m. Roley shot and wounded Coeur d’Alene firefighter/engineer David Tysdal, Norris mentioned.
“Inside milliseconds” he then fatally shot Coeur d’Alene Hearth Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Hearth & Rescue Battalion Chief Frank J. Harwood, the sheriff mentioned.
The firefighters died immediately, Norris mentioned. Roley’s physique was noticed by a drone at round at round 6:53 p.m. within the closely wooded space, and officers mentioned he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil towards the individuals we glance to for assist,” Norris mentioned.
The investigation stays ongoing, he mentioned.
In case you or somebody you already know is in disaster, name or textual content 988, or go to 988lifeline.org, to succeed in the Suicide & Disaster Lifeline. You can too name the community, beforehand often called the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/sources.
