Suspect In Fatal Shooting Of Idaho Firefighters Left Note About Going ‘into Battle’

The man who authorities judge fatally changeable 2 Idaho firefighters earlier sidesplitting himself had erstwhile tried to participate nan subject and near a statement addressed to his begetter successful which he wrote he would "go into battle,” nan Kootenai County sheriff said Tuesday.

Wess Roley, 20, group a brushwood occurrence connected Canfield Mountain adjacent Coeur D’Alene connected June 29 and then opened occurrence connected responding firefighters, authorities said, successful what they person described arsenic an ambush. He later killed himself.

Roley had tried to participate nan U.S. Army successful Arizona successful 2023 and again successful Idaho successful 2024, but he ne'er followed done connected appointments and was disqualified, nan Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said successful a news convention Tuesday.

He'd besides entered a Coeur d’Alene occurrence position successful May and asked astir becoming a firefighter, believing he'd beryllium capable to commencement that day, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said.

When told location was a process, including tests and interviews, Roley became frustrated, and "it was described to america arsenic he near location successful a very, very disappointment and agitated state," Norris said.

A handwritten missive was recovered successful Roley’s motortruck addressed to his father, Norris said astatine Tuesday’s news conference. Investigators recovered a drafting astatine his location of personification pinch what appeared to beryllium a shotgun pinch nan words "kill termination kill," he said.

"Tomorrow I shall spell into battle, if I past it would beryllium pinch utmost dishonor," nan missive recovered successful nan motortruck sounds successful part, Norris said, showing an image of nan document. The missive besides read, "I bid thee farewell."

At astir 1 p.m. nan time of nan shooting, Roley “committed arson by lighting a bid of fires to initiate a consequence from section occurrence departments,” Norris said.

At astir 1:40 p.m. firefighters asked Roley to move his motortruck and “the interaction is being described arsenic confrontational,” Norris said.

At astir 1:50 p.m. Roley changeable and wounded Coeur d’Alene firefighter/engineer David Tysdal, Norris said.

“Within milliseconds” he past fatally changeable Coeur d’Alene Fire Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Frank J. Harwood, nan sheriff said.

The firefighters died instantly, Norris said. Roley's assemblage was spotted by a drone astatine astir astatine astir 6:53 p.m. successful nan heavy wooded area, and officials said he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“This was a premeditated ambush, a axenic enactment of evil against nan group we look to for help,” Norris said.

The investigation remains ongoing, he said.

If you aliases personification you cognize is successful crisis, telephone aliases matter 988, aliases spell to 988lifeline.org, to scope nan Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You tin besides telephone nan network, antecedently known arsenic nan National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, astatine 800-273-8255, aliases sojourn SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.