Idaho sniper's twisted motive for firefighter ambush revealed - and the chilling farewell letter to his father
The man accused of shooting two Idaho firefighters dead grew increasingly agitated while attempting to become a firefighter himself - ultimately writing a chilling goodbye note to his father, declaring that he 'shall go to battle.'
Wess Roley, 20, launched a deadly attack on first responders last month after deliberately setting a bush fire at Idaho beauty spot Canfield Mountain to lure them in.
New revelations about the possible motive behind what officials called a 'pure act of evil' were shared during a Tuesday press conference - including indications of the suspect's growing resentment toward first responders, as reported by KREM 2 News.
Roley first attempted to enlist in the Army in Arizona in 2023, seemingly following in the footsteps of his father, a military veteran. He made a second attempt to join the military last year in Hayden, Idaho.
However, both times were unsuccessful, as he 'failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the US Army,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said at the conference.
Then, just one month before the shootings, Roley visited a Coeur d'Alene fire station to inquire about becoming a firefighter - but grew irritated upon learning the requirements of the process.
'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris revealed on Tuesday.
'He was told there's a process - you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview,' he added.
Wess Roley, 20, the man accused of shooting two Idaho firefighters dead, grew increasingly agitated while attempting to become a firefighter himself
On June 29 - according to Sheriff Norris - Roley used gasoline, lighters and flint to ignite a series of fires on Canfield Mountain to trigger an emergency response, and then opened fire on firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle before taking his own life
Roley attempted to enlist in the Army twice, but both attempts were unsuccessful as he 'failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the US Army'
'The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.'
During the conference, officials also revealed evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated - including drawings found in Roley's home depicting a mountain parking lot, a shotgun being fired and a figure aiming a rifle at their own chin.
A haunting farewell note addressed to his father was also found inside Roley's truck - signed by him alongside two symbols resembling runes associated with Nazi ideology.
'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell.'
On June 29 - according to Sheriff Norris - Roley used gasoline, lighters and flint to ignite a series of fires on Canfield Mountain to trigger an emergency response.
He then opened fire on firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, and later shot at others from a tree before taking his own life.
'This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help,' Norris said on Tuesday.
Kootenai County Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, were killed in the attack.
Then, just one month before the shootings, Roley visited a Coeur d'Alene fire station to inquire about becoming a firefighter - but grew irritated upon learning the requirements of the process (pictured: Roley and his mother, Heather Cuchiara)
During the conference, officials also revealed evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated - including drawings found in Roley's (pictured) home depicting a mountain parking lot, a shotgun being fired and a figure aiming a rifle at their own chin
A haunting farewell note addressed to his father was also found inside Roley's truck - signed by him alongside two symbols resembling runes associated with Nazi ideology (pictured: screenshot of Roley's Instagram Story)
Kootenai County Battalion Chief Frank Harwood (pictured), 42, was killed in the attack
Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison (pictured), 52, was also killed in the attack
Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was also badly hurt in what cops described as 'a total ambush,' but is expected to survive.
Earlier this month, Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Roley had a troubled past that included bullying gender-fluid kids at his Arizona high school, making disturbing neo-Nazi comments and posting Holocaust-denying TikTok videos.
And after moving to Idaho in summer 2024 after a year living with his grandfather Dale, 66, in Vinita, Oklahoma, his life spun further out of control – with a former roommate telling DailyMail.com that he made threatening gang signs, had no friends and cheated him out of a month's rent when he was told to move out.
Roley had also fallen out with his father Jason, 39 – a heavily tattooed motorcycle enthusiast whose Facebook page carries several pictures of him in Hell's Angel gear – who lives in remote Priest River, Idaho, with his second wife Sara, 35, and their two young children.
'When he first moved in with me, he was just real quiet,' TJ Franks, 28, told DailyMail.com in an interview at his modest apartment home in Sandpoint, Idaho, 60 miles north of Coeur d'Alene.
'He didn't really do a whole lot. He just kind of kept to himself and worked. But then, towards the end of his stay here, we started noticing changes in his behavior.
'He shaved all his hair off. He was keeping really late hours at night.'
Other difficult behavior included using Franks's personal items such as his clippers without permission, monopolizing the TV and playing video games deep into the small hours.
Earlier this month, Daily Mail exclusively revealed that Roley (left) had a troubled past that included bullying gender-fluid kids at his Arizona high school , making disturbing neo-Nazi comments and posting Holocaust-denying TikTok videos
TJ Franks (pictured), 28, told DailyMail.com that Roley – who was living out of his van when he died – didn't appear to have any friends at all and frequently complained about wanting a girlfriend
After moving to Idaho in summer 2024 after a year living with his grandfather Dale, 66, in Vinita, Oklahoma, his life spun further out of control – with a former roommate saying he made threatening gang signs, had no friends and cheated him out of a month's rent when he was told to move out
Franks added: 'He left his vehicle running out here for like, 12 or 13 hours, so the landlord called me and wanted me to check on him, and I knocked on his door.
'He was just sleeping, but he jumped up and said he had no idea that it was running – there was a lot of weird stuff like that.'
According to Franks, Roley – who was living out of his van when he died – didn't appear to have any friends at all and frequently complained about wanting a girlfriend.
But he did nothing to get one, instead spending most of his time off taking lonely rambles along the 3.5-mile Mickinnick Trail – telling Franks he felt most at home in the forest.
The pattern is similar to one observed his former classmates in Arizona, with one North Phoenix Prep School graduate telling DailyMail.com that that he would bully other students – including cruelly nicknaming one girl 'Horse Teeth' – and had few friends of his own.
More disturbing were his neo-Nazi outbursts and penchant for doodling swastikas and other Nazi symbols in his school notebook.
'He was weird,' recalled the student. 'At one point, in 10th grade he got a girlfriend who was Jewish.'
'They both were spreading neo-Nazi propaganda. Wess's notebook was notorious for having doodles of swastikas and satanic symbols in it,' they added.
The pattern is similar to one observed his former classmates in Arizona, with one North Phoenix Prep School graduate saying that that he would bully other students – including cruelly nicknaming one girl 'Horse Teeth' – and had few friends of his own
Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Fire Engineer David Tysdal (pictured), 47, was also badly hurt in what cops described as 'a total ambush,' but is expected to survive
Roley's father Jason has since posted a tribute to the dead firefighters and changed his Facebook profile photo to a badge that read: 'In loving memories of our fallen heroes.'
Later in November 2021, the then-10th grader Roley was expelled after threatening both the school and his classmates.
His tattooed, dyed-hair girlfriend also left the school and was never heard from again by classmates.
Franks also revealed that Roley had shown a consistent disdain for authority.
'He did say that he has a problem not with authorities but authority,' Franks told DailyMail.com.
'He has a problem with authority, but he was not a political person. You know, I would talk to him about something that I saw on the news,' he added.
'When I did, he would just kind of laugh and he would say, "it's all bull crap anyway."'
Ultimately, Roley's behavior became too much for Franks to tolerate, and he asked him to move out, which he did at the end of January this year.
After that, police say he lived a transient lifestyle and was the subject of several welfare and trespass calls but did nothing unduly troubling until last month's shootout that claimed the lives of Chief Harwood and Chief Morrison.
Roley's father Jason has since posted a tribute to the dead firefighters and changed his Facebook profile photo to a badge that read: 'In loving memories of our fallen heroes.'
He added: 'I have no words. I'm so sorry for the families.' Of his estranged son, he said nothing.
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