Latest news with #Roley
New York Post
23-07-2025
- New York Post
Idaho firefighter sniper had been turned away by fire department, Army before deadly attacks
The man accused of fatally shooting two Idaho firefighters before killing himself last month had tried to join the fire department, and became angry when told he would need to go through training and testing. Wess Roley also tried to join the Army twice — his father was an Army veteran — but was disqualified after failing to follow through on tasks and appointments, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Tuesday at a press conference. The new revelations offer a more complete picture of the 20-year-old's resentments. Officials also presented evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated — a goodbye letter to his father they found in his truck and drawings in his home that appear to show a mountain parking lot with a shotgun being fired and a person aiming a rifle at his chin. 6 Idaho firefighter sniper Wess Roley was rejected by both the fire department and the Army. 'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell.' Next to his signature were two symbols that appear to be runes linked to Nazi ideology. Roley used gas, lighters and flint to start a series of fires at Canfield Mountain on June 29 to instigate a response, then shot at firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, Norris said. He shot at others from a tree before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff said. 'A pure act of evil' 'This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help,' Norris said. Killed were Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52. Coeur d'Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was hospitalized in critical condition. 6 Kootenai County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood fatally shot by Idaho sniper Wess Roley. IAFF 7th District Investigators hope to learn more from Roley's social media accounts, but it's clear that his frustrations were growing over time, the sheriff said. Roley tried to become a soldier in Arizona in 2023 and again last year in Hayden, Idaho, 'but failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the U.S. Army,' Norris said. Then, one month before the shootings, Roley went to a Coeur d'Alene fire station asking about becoming a firefighter, Norris said. 6 Roley tried to become a soldier in Arizona in 2023 and again last year in Hayden, Idaho. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office 'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris said. 'He was told there's a process — you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview. The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.' Former classmate recalls shooter as aggressive Beyond what the sheriff shared, little is known about Roley's motivation, but Associated Press interviews and court records reveal a troubled early home life and a disconnect from schoolmates, who saw him as an aggressive young man who liked to draw bombs and use firearms. Roley lived with his mother, Heather Caldwell-Cuchiara, and stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to northern Idaho to live with his father, Jason Roley, in 2024. 6 Screenshot of suspect Wess Roley's Instagram story is seen at the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office during a press conference Monday, June 30, 2025, in Hayden, Idaho. Dieter Denen, who went to elementary, middle and high school with Roley, told the AP that Roley's aggression and 'racist' comments made classmates uncomfortable. 'He was really on edge a lot,' Denen said. Roley would say unkind or rude things to people of a different race, culture or religion, he said. 'You'd kind of go, 'what the heck — why would you say that — it's a little messed up to say that,' he said. Roley got in trouble for drawing a swastika in a school book, and also liked to draw bombs, planes and 'military things,' Denen said. Roley also bragged about his time in Germany: 'He would always tell me, 'I'm a lot more German in every way compared to you.' Denen said he couldn't believe it when a friend texted an article about the shootings. 6 Idaho shooter Wess Roley in an undated Facebook photo posted by his mother Heather Lynn Caldwell. Facebook/Heather Lynn Caldwell 'It's just so shocking,' Denen said. 'With Wess, he was definitely different when we were younger but it's hard to think that anyone could ever do something like that.' Mother got protection order against his father Court records show his parents, Heather and Jason Roley, were married in San Bernardino, California, in 2008. Jason Roley served in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and left the service as a staff sergeant, an Army spokesperson said. The family lived in Grafenwöhr, Germany, home to a large U.S. Army base, from 2010 to 2015, when Wess Roley was 5 to 10 years old. Records show his mother filed for divorce after they moved to Phoenix and sought a protection order saying Jason Roley posed a threat to her and their son. Her petition said he was an alcoholic and had been arrested for assaulting her on Oct. 1, 2015. 'He was very intoxicated,' she wrote. 'He was crying inconsolably saying that he was going to commit suicide. Things escalated. He punched several holes in the walls, destroyed my cell phone, pushed me to the ground.' Jason Roley texted her after his arrest saying he was going to kill himself, she wrote. 'Jason verbally threatened me by saying he would be waiting outside with a sniper rifle and burn the place down,' she wrote. 'He said the only thing stopping him from going through with it was going to prison.' 'They did not deserve this' 6 Battalion Chief John Morrison fatally shot by Idaho sniper Wess Roley. City of Coeur d'Alene The judge ordered him to stay away from his wife and son and surrender any firearms. 'I am not a danger to my son or anyone else,' Jason Roley responded. 'The plaintiff did not tell the truth in her statement.' The judge apparently believed her after a hearing. His order cited an act of domestic violence and said he might do it again. The protection would continue for the mother, but not their minor child. Three years later, Jason Roley applied for a marriage license, with Sara Peterson. Their social media pages say they're married and live in Priest River, Idaho, near Sandpoint, where Wess Roley had been living before he became homeless. Email and phone messages seeking Jason Roley's comment were not returned. His father, Dale Roley, wrote on Facebook that he's the grandfather. 'I would like give my Condolence's to all those family members who were Unfortunately Victims of yesterdays Crimes,' Dale Roley wrote. 'Those good Brave Firefighters were just doing there Job they did not deserve this!'
23-07-2025
Man who killed Idaho firefighters had been turned away by fire department, Army
The man accused of fatally shooting two Idaho firefighters before killing himself last month had tried to join the fire department, and became angry when told he would need to go through training and testing. Wess Roley also tried to join the Army twice — his father was an Army veteran — but was disqualified after failing to follow through on tasks and appointments, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Tuesday at a press conference. The new revelations offer a more complete picture of the 20-year-old's resentments. Officials also presented evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated — a goodbye letter to his father they found in his truck and drawings in his home that appear to show a mountain parking lot with a shotgun being fired and a person aiming a rifle at his chin. 'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell." Next to his signature were two symbols that appear to be runes linked to Nazi ideology. Roley used gas, lighters and flint to start a series of fires at Canfield Mountain on June 29 to instigate a response, then shot at firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, Norris said. He shot at others from a tree before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff said. "This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help," Norris said. Killed were Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52. Coeur d'Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators hope to learn more from Roley's social media accounts, but it's clear that his frustrations were growing over time, the sheriff said. Roley tried to become a soldier in Arizona in 2023 and again last year in Hayden, Idaho, 'but failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the U.S. Army,' Norris said. Then, one month before the shootings, Roley went to a Coeur d'Alene fire station asking about becoming a firefighter, Norris said. 'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris said. 'He was told there's a process — you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview. The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.' Beyond what the sheriff shared, little is known about Roley's motivation, but Associated Press interviews and court records reveal a troubled early home life and a disconnect from schoolmates, who saw him as an aggressive young man who liked to draw bombs and use firearms. Roley lived with his mother, Heather Caldwell-Cuchiara, and stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to northern Idaho to live with his father, Jason Roley, in 2024. Dieter Denen, who went to elementary, middle and high school with Roley, told the AP that Roley's aggression and 'racist' comments made classmates uncomfortable. 'He was really on edge a lot,' Denen said. Roley would say unkind or rude things to people of a different race, culture or religion, he said. 'You'd kind of go, 'what the heck — why would you say that — it's a little messed up to say that," he said. Roley got in trouble for drawing a swastika in a school book, and also liked to draw bombs, planes and 'military things,' Denen said. Roley also bragged about his time in Germany: 'He would always tell me, 'I'm a lot more German in every way compared to you." Denen said he couldn't believe it when a friend texted an article about the shootings. 'It's just so shocking," Denen said. "With Wess, he was definitely different when we were younger but it's hard to think that anyone could ever do something like that.' Court records show his parents, Heather and Jason Roley, were married in San Bernardino, California, in 2008. Jason Roley served in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and left the service as a staff sergeant, an Army spokesperson said. The family lived in Grafenwöhr, Germany, home to a large U.S. Army base, from 2010 to 2015, when Wess Roley was 5 to 10 years old. Records show his mother filed for divorce after they moved to Phoenix and sought a protection order saying Jason Roley posed a threat to her and their son. Her petition said he was an alcoholic and had been arrested for assaulting her on Oct. 1, 2015. 'He was very intoxicated,' she wrote. 'He was crying inconsolably saying that he was going to commit suicide. Things escalated. He punched several holes in the walls, destroyed my cell phone, pushed me to the ground.' Jason Roley texted her after his arrest saying he was going to kill himself, she wrote. 'Jason verbally threatened me by saying he would be waiting outside with a sniper rifle and burn the place down,' she wrote. 'He said the only thing stopping him from going through with it was going to prison.' The judge ordered him to stay away from his wife and son and surrender any firearms. 'I am not a danger to my son or anyone else," Jason Roley responded. "The plaintiff did not tell the truth in her statement." The judge apparently believed her after a hearing. His order cited an act of domestic violence and said he might do it again. The protection would continue for the mother, but not their minor child. Three years later, Jason Roley applied for a marriage license, with Sara Peterson. Their social media pages say they're married and live in Priest River, Idaho, near Sandpoint, where Wess Roley had been living before he became homeless. Email and phone messages seeking Jason Roley's comment were not returned. His father, Dale Roley, wrote on Facebook that he's the grandfather. 'I would like give my Condolence's to all those family members who were Unfortunately Victims of yesterdays Crimes," Dale Roley wrote. 'Those good Brave Firefighters were just doing there Job they did not deserve this!'
Hamilton Spectator
23-07-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Man who killed Idaho firefighters had been turned away by fire department, Army
The man accused of fatally shooting two Idaho firefighters before killing himself last month had tried to join the fire department, and became angry when told he would need to go through training and testing. Wess Roley also tried to join the Army twice — his father was an Army veteran — but was disqualified after failing to follow through on tasks and appointments, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Tuesday at a press conference. The new revelations offer a more complete picture of the 20-year-old's resentments. Officials also presented evidence suggesting the attack was premeditated — a goodbye letter to his father they found in his truck and drawings in his home that appear to show a mountain parking lot with a shotgun being fired and a person aiming a rifle at his chin. 'Tomorrow, I shall go to battle,' Roley wrote to his father. 'If I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell.' Next to his signature were two symbols that appear to be runes linked to Nazi ideology. Roley used gas, lighters and flint to start a series of fires at Canfield Mountain on June 29 to instigate a response, then shot at firefighters who asked him to move his vehicle, Norris said. He shot at others from a tree before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the sheriff said. 'A pure act of evil' 'This was a premeditated ambush, a pure act of evil against the people we look to for help,' Norris said. Killed were Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52. Coeur d'Alene Fire Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was hospitalized in critical condition. Investigators hope to learn more from Roley's social media accounts, but it's clear that his frustrations were growing over time, the sheriff said. Roley tried to become a soldier in Arizona in 2023 and again last year in Hayden, Idaho, 'but failed to follow through on tasks and appointments, eventually being disqualified by the U.S. Army,' Norris said. Then, one month before the shootings, Roley went to a Coeur d'Alene fire station asking about becoming a firefighter, Norris said. 'He had the state of mind that he would be able to start that day,' Norris said. 'He was told there's a process — you have a written exam, and a physical agility and a background investigation and an oral interview. The contact became agitated and frustrated. He left there in a very frustrated and agitated state.' Former classmate recalls shooter as aggressive Beyond what the sheriff shared, little is known about Roley's motivation, but Associated Press interviews and court records reveal a troubled early home life and a disconnect from schoolmates, who saw him as an aggressive young man who liked to draw bombs and use firearms. Roley lived with his mother, Heather Caldwell-Cuchiara, and stepfather in Phoenix, Arizona, before moving to northern Idaho to live with his father, Jason Roley, in 2024. Dieter Denen, who went to elementary, middle and high school with Roley, told the AP that Roley's aggression and 'racist' comments made classmates uncomfortable. 'He was really on edge a lot,' Denen said. Roley would say unkind or rude things to people of a different race, culture or religion, he said. 'You'd kind of go, 'what the heck — why would you say that — it's a little messed up to say that,' he said. Roley got in trouble for drawing a swastika in a school book, and also liked to draw bombs, planes and 'military things,' Denen said. Roley also bragged about his time in Germany: 'He would always tell me, 'I'm a lot more German in every way compared to you.' Denen said he couldn't believe it when a friend texted an article about the shootings. 'It's just so shocking,' Denen said. 'With Wess, he was definitely different when we were younger but it's hard to think that anyone could ever do something like that.' Mother got protection order against his father Court records show his parents, Heather and Jason Roley, were married in San Bernardino, California, in 2008. Jason Roley served in the Army from 2007 to 2015, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, and left the service as a staff sergeant, an Army spokesperson said. The family lived in Grafenwöhr, Germany, home to a large U.S. Army base, from 2010 to 2015, when Wess Roley was 5 to 10 years old. Records show his mother filed for divorce after they moved to Phoenix and sought a protection order saying Jason Roley posed a threat to her and their son. Her petition said he was an alcoholic and had been arrested for assaulting her on Oct. 1, 2015. 'He was very intoxicated,' she wrote. 'He was crying inconsolably saying that he was going to commit suicide. Things escalated. He punched several holes in the walls, destroyed my cell phone, pushed me to the ground.' Jason Roley texted her after his arrest saying he was going to kill himself, she wrote. 'Jason verbally threatened me by saying he would be waiting outside with a sniper rifle and burn the place down,' she wrote. 'He said the only thing stopping him from going through with it was going to prison.' 'They did not deserve this' The judge ordered him to stay away from his wife and son and surrender any firearms. 'I am not a danger to my son or anyone else,' Jason Roley responded. 'The plaintiff did not tell the truth in her statement.' The judge apparently believed her after a hearing. His order cited an act of domestic violence and said he might do it again. The protection would continue for the mother, but not their minor child. Three years later, Jason Roley applied for a marriage license, with Sara Peterson. Their social media pages say they're married and live in Priest River, Idaho, near Sandpoint, where Wess Roley had been living before he became homeless. Email and phone messages seeking Jason Roley's comment were not returned. His father, Dale Roley, wrote on Facebook that he's the grandfather. 'I would like give my Condolence's to all those family members who were Unfortunately Victims of yesterdays Crimes,' Dale Roley wrote. 'Those good Brave Firefighters were just doing there Job they did not deserve this!' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
New York Post
23-07-2025
- New York Post
Idaho sniper Wess Roley who killed 2 firefighters in ambush left behind twisted drawings of himself dying, goodbye letter to father
Gun-obsessed Idaho firefighter slayer Wess Roley left a chilling goodbye letter to his father, along with multiple twisted drawings depicting himself dying during his premeditated ambush on a pair of firefighters he killed in late June. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office shared the new documents detailing 20-year-old Roley's erratic behavior and his odd patterns of speech at a press conference Tuesday. Multiple drawings depicted crude sketches of Roley with gunshot wounds and even a Pentagram on his forehead, including one he titled 'Goodbye Wess.' Advertisement 6 Wess Roley fatally shot two firefighters and injured a third during an ambush in late June. 6 Police found multiple drawings that Roley left behind depicting his own death. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office 6 Roley wrote 'Kill Kill Kill' on one drawing. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Advertisement Investigators also found a letter riddled with spelling inaccuracies that Roley wrote to his father in his vehicle at the scene on Canfield Mountain, where he intentionally set a fire and waited just a few yards away for firefighters to arrive before opening fire, killing two and injuring a third. 'Hello Father, I write this to you in a concerned effort that you may read this in upmost sincerity. Tomorrow I shall go into battle if I survive, it would be with upmost dishonor. I bid thee farewell, I hope that you shall live to the fullest extent as you have thus far,' Roley wrote. 6 Roley also wrote a goodbye letter to his father. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office 'I beg that you do not fall into the traps of modern existence, with media and other false pleasantries that plague the minds of individuals today. Propaganda of sorts. You are a upstanding individual and I wish you the best.' Advertisement The cryptic letter echoed Roley's posts on social media during the hours leading up to the shooting, including one saying he was 'going hunting.' He also displayed other disturbing patterns of behavior when he was still just a teenager and would often doodle Swastikas and weapons in his notebooks at school, according to investigators. Just one month before his deadly attack, Roley tried to apply to be a firefighter at the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department — the very station he would attack. 6 Roley wrote 'Run Away' on another drawing. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Advertisement During the application process, Roley, who had a history of unmedicated ADHD and marijuana use he struggled to quit, quickly 'became agitated with the process and left frustrated,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. He also tried to enlist in the US Army three times, but consistently neglected to follow up on required tasks and appointments, which led to his disqualification, KREM reported. 6 Another drawing had 'Peace and Solidarity' scrawled on it. Kootenai County Sheriff's Office Many of the documents recovered during the ongoing investigation — including the shared letter and drawings — are still being reviewed, Norris said. On June 29, Roley shot and killed two firefighters responding to a fire he set in northern Idaho before turning the gun on himself. Eerily, the father he lauded in his goodbye letter previously threatened to set a fire and shoot his family with a sniper rifle during messy divorce proceedings in 2015. Because of his threats, a protective order was put in place at his mother's request, barring his father from contacting the family. It is unclear when the order may have expired.
USA Today
06-07-2025
- USA Today
Sketching swastikas, debating politics & 'edgy' jokes: Idaho shooter wasn't typical loner
There are no easy answers for why a Wess Roley gunned down firefighters in Idaho. What is known, his friends say, is he was a fierce conservative fixated on guns, but he wasn't a loner growing up. Wess Roley cultivated an image in middle and high school as an 'edgy,' 'cool' and funny kid who was interested in history, constantly talking about politics, and wanted to join the military, several former classmates told USA TODAY. But he also had a darker side. The young man accused of shooting and killing two firefighters in an attack in rural Idaho was 'obsessed with guns,' the classmates said. He also had 'Nazi tendencies.' Roley's former classmates said he drew swastikas and pictures of guns in school books. 'He would say things from time to time that were just unhinged,' said Dieter Denen, who attended elementary, middle, and high schools with Roley. 'We all thought he was messing around.' Authorities continue to search for a motive in the killing of firefighters called to a wildfire June 29 on Canfield Mountain, just outside Coeur D'Alene. So far, there are no easy answers for why a 20-year-old son of a tree trimmer and archery enthusiast would suddenly turn on first responders. What is known, according to his friends, is Roley was part of a close-knit circle growing up before he landed in northwest Idaho, a region known for its embrace of independence, gun rights and stalwart conservatism. Five former schoolmates told USA TODAY they didn't keep in touch with him after high school but recounted what they knew of Roley growing up. What turned an opinionated, gregarious teenager into a killer, they couldn't say. All five former classmates expressed surprise, anguish and sadness over Roley's violent fate, and they said Roley didn't fit the stereotype of other mass shooters. 'I would not say that he was a loner,' said Elina Pinkhasova, who attended North Phoenix Preparatory Academy with Roley. 'We were all friends with him, and it was a group of like, 10 of us — he was always hanging out with his guy friends.' 'Some trouble with a girl' Roley's childhood friends, some of whom attended multiple schools with him, said he was very political for his age and a Trump supporter — not unusual at the time in Phoenix, where 48% voted for him in 2016. 'He was very hardcore Trump — just very involved in politics,' Pinkhasova said. 'He was always very defensive, always getting into it with people, which we thought was kind of weird because we were 14, 15 years old.' Roley's old friends all said he was also obsessed with guns. Pinkhasova said she thought all the talk from Roley about guns was just part of his conservative ideology. 'The Wess we knew was very interested in joining the Army,' said Pinkhasova. 'Like, I thought his love for weapons was coming from the fact that he wanted to be a law enforcer of some sort.' Former classmates said he came to school one day with a 'buzz cut,' and said he wanted to join ROTC. They said Roley's apparent fascination with Nazism was primarily a front — a way to stand out and get attention. Again and again, his former friends used the same word: 'edgy.' 'People called him out for it. It's not like people turned a blind eye.' said Pinkhasova, who is Jewish. 'People were like, 'Bro! Cool it! What's wrong with you?' They called him out, and he would laugh it off.' Denen and others said they remember Roley left high school in the middle of sophomore year. One believed Roley was expelled 'after some trouble with a girl.' An inauspicious landing place That's when Roley moved to Idaho, where his father ran a tree-trimming service. It was an area with an inauspicious history. For decades, the white supremacist organization Aryan Nations was headquartered there — until 2000, when a lawsuit by the Southern Poverty Law Center bankrupted the group. Although the group's compound was razed, the locals are still trying to shake the stigma. While Coeur d'Alene, a city of over 57,000 has grown over the years and is also home to progressive residents, it sits in a conservative part of the state long associated with anti-government groups. In 2022, 31 members of a white-nationalist group were arrested in the city and charged with conspiring to riot during a Pride event. Although many were from other states, it didn't help efforts to distance the city from its past. 'This is not who we are as a community,' Bruce Mattare, a Kootenai County commissioner, said at a press conference the day of the firefighters' shooting last month. 'And when you hear how others portray the people who live here on the news, it's not true. What happened here decades ago is not reflective of the fine people who live here today.' Tony Stewart, who helped found the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations in the early 1980s in response to the Aryan Nations, said after the group left, he helped offer one of its vacated compound buildings to local firefighters for training purposes. From a controlled burn to a wildfire attack A few miles away — and 24 years to the day after the remnants of the Aryan Nations' compound were destroyed in a controlled burn — firefighters were called to put out a grass fire. The call came in about 1:21 p.m. local time. About 20 minutes later, still examining the blaze whose smoke could be seen in the distance, they were suddenly scrambling to call for help as the bullets flew at them, a barrage of high-powered fire. Some could be heard on the radio pleading for help after two were hit. Hikers were still making it off the mountain as the gunfire continued. The shooter was concealed by heavy brush and seemed to be well prepared. Investigators believe the gunman set the fire. 'This was a total ambush,' Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said. The next day, authorities found Roley's body by tracking cell phone data. The haunting question: Why? After he moved to Idaho, Roley spent time working in the tree maintenance business. His father had recently remarried, moved to Idaho, and started a tree trimming and stump grinding business in the area, according to his social media posts and the company's website. Wess Roley attempted unsuccessfully to enlist in the U.S. Army in Idaho several times in the last several years, Chris Surridge, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army confirmed. He was deemed ineligible each time, but the Army declined to specify what disqualified him. The Army declines people for a variety of physical and mental health disqualifiers, as well as background based on education, crime or drug use. He had expressed interest in becoming a firefighter, too, Norris said. Roley appeared to be living in his car at some point, and had five run-ins with local law enforcement that were "very, very minor in nature," Norris said. "He cooperated on each one." His encounters with police mostly had to do with trespassing, Norris said. At one point, police had to ask him to leave a restaurant. Attorney Justin Whittenton, who represents Roley's family in Arizona, where his mother and stepfather live, issued a statement on their behalf that reads in part: 'There are no words that can suffice for this tragedy and the infinite losses suffered by those affected by this shooting. We do not understand why this happened or how this came about.' Wess Roley's grandfather told reporters his grandson had appeared to be thriving in Idaho. He had a loving family, Dale Roley told CNN. 'He had his own apartment. He was doing good," he told ABC. But in recent months, he had become "kind of a loner," he said. The day after the shooting, his father, Jason Roley, who did not respond to requests for comment, posted an image dedicated to the deceased firefighters, reading 'IN LOVING MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN HEROES, JUNE 29 2025.' His caption under the image: 'I have no words. I'm so sorry for the family's' Nick Penzenstadler contributed reporting.
