The devastated family of Idaho gunman Wess Roley — who allegedly set a brushfire to lure firefighters into the woods before shooting dead two of them on Sunday — has spoken out for the first time, saying that they are at a complete loss and still "do not understand" how such a heinous crime could have happened.
"At this time, we, the family of Wess Roley would like to offer our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those whose lives were taken and to the community of Coeur d'Alene at large," Roley's heartbroken and devastated family told The New York Post in a statement issued through attorney Justin Whittenton on Monday.
Clueless About Heinous Act
"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," they statement continued.
"Our hearts and spirits are broken for the lost and hurting, and for our own loss as well," the family added, explaining they intended to cooperate fully with investigators as they "deal with the grief of this heinous tragedy in our own family."
The family also said that they will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation as they cope with the pain of this devastating tragedy within their own family.
This came as authorities identified the two victims killed by Roley as Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52.
Harwood, a former combat engineer in the Army National Guard, had dedicated 17 years of service to the county. He is survived by his wife and two children, according to Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way.
Morrison had dedicated more than 28 years of service to the city of Coeur d'Alene, according to Chief Tom Grief.
The third firefighter wounded in the attack, 47-year-old Dave Tysdal, remains hospitalized in critical condition. Tysdal has worked as an engineer with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department for 23 years. Officials reported that he has undergone two successful surgeries so far.
Rejected and Angry
Earlier on Monday, it was revealed that Roley may have been rejected from a firefighting position due to his height — a possibility his grandfather suggested shortly after the incident. Standing at 5 feet 8 inches tall, Roley is suspected of killing two firefighters and injuring a third during Sunday's attack.
This came as it was revealed that Roley shared a chilling image online just hours before carrying out his deadly ambush, officials said Monday. The photo showed him wearing camouflage and a mask, with a belt of rifle ammunition across his chest along with a Björk song with haunting lyrics ominously warning, "I'm going hunting."
The disturbing post was among a slew of new revelations shared during a press conference held by the sheriff. Officials said that before launching his deadly attack, Roley had been living out of his car. Roley was confronted by the firefighters regarding his vehicle, and that's when he suddenly opened fire, killing two of them and leaving another injured.
Over 300 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies rushed to the scene after the gunfire began, spending several hours trying to stop Roley. Authorities even rolled off his abandoned car off a mountain ledge in a bid to cut off his escape routes and flattened the tires of nearby fire trucks to prevent him from using one to slip away.
Although the motive behind the attack remains unclear, investigators have yet to search Roley's vehicle. Sheriff Robert Norris said that there's no evidence he left behind a manifesto, nor do officials believe he had any connections to Middle Eastern terrorist groups.
Roley, originally from California, had been living in the Coeur d'Alene area since 2024, Norris said.
During that time, Roley had at least five encounters with local law enforcement, mostly involving complaints about him living in his car and parking it on private property. These incidents included things like trespassing and welfare checks.
Norris described the encounters as "very, very minor" and noted that investigators found no criminal history for Roley in Idaho, California, or Arizona, where he had previously lived.
On Sunday, Roley reportedly set a fire in the woods on Canfield Mountain shortly after 1 p.m., then ambushed the firefighters who arrived to contain it. He ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Roley was armed with a shotgun loaded with slugs during the gunfight. His body was removed from the area just as the wildfire began to spread across Canfield Mountain.
