Idaho Shooter Wess Roley’s Grandfather Says He Wanted To Be A Firefighter

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Baila Eve ZismanJuly 2, 2025, 12:17 pmNews >

The grandfather of Wess Roley, the 20-year-old man believed to have killed two men and injured another after he lured firefighters to a blaze in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, has shared that his grandson previously wanted to be a firefighter.

The shooting took place on Sunday when Roley lit a bush on fire to bait first responders to the area. Upon their arrival, Roley, who had climbed a tree, fatally shot two of the men and injured a third. He was later found dead after an hours-long manhunt through the area.

Discovered on Canfield Mountain with a shotgun close by, Roley seemingly shot himself, according to Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris.

Norris shared an image from social media, in which Roley wore a balaclava and a belt of rifle shells, with a coal-like substance smeared across his face. He also posted a Björk song, which has the cryptic lyric “I’m going hunting.”

In the aftermath of the attack, Roley’s grandfather, Dale, noted that Roley had wanted to be a firefighter but perhaps had been turned down, likely because of his 5-foot-8 stature.

Dale told NBC News, “[Roley] actually really respected law enforcement.”

“He loved firefighters. It didn’t make sense that he was shooting firefighters,” Dale continued. “I know he had been in contact to get a job with a fire department. He wanted to be part of a team that he sort of idolized.”

“Maybe he got rejected or something,” Dale speculated and noted Roley’s height as a potential reason. He further shared that Roley had worked at a tree service and had climbing skills he believed would be valuable when tackling wildfires. Roley additionally used to go on hog hunts and was experienced with firearms.

Dale described Roley as “a loner,” “high strung” and “nervous” but speculated that such problems were “normal issues for kids these days.” He acknowledged, “I feel real terrible for those killed.”

Authorities report that Roley had been living out of his car prior to the attack.

The two murdered firefighters were Frank Harwood, 42, a battalion chief with the Kootenai County Fire & Rescue Department, where he had worked for 17 years, and Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, where he had worked for over 28 years.