Man shot 3 Idaho firefighters after they asked him to move vehicle. What
to know about the attack
[July 01, 2025]
By REBECCA BOONE
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Authorities say two firefighters were killed and
another was critically wounded after they were shot while responding to
a wildfire near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Here's what to know about Sunday's attack, the investigation and next
steps.
Attack began with a brush fire
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said firefighters first responded to
an early afternoon report of a brushfire at Canfield Mountain, a popular
hiking and biking area near the outskirts of town. A man began shooting
at them after firefighters asked him to move his vehicle.
Law enforcement officials responded, locking down neighborhoods nearby
and trying to find the shooter in hilly terrain that had plenty of
cover, with thick brush and trees and smoke from the fire nearby.
First hours were chaotic
Over the next few hours, it wasn't clear if hikers or other
recreationists were stuck on the mountain, or if civilians had been
injured in the shooting, Norris said. What was clear was the danger
firefighters and responding law enforcement faced.
“We don’t know how many suspects are up there, and we don’t know how
many casualties there are,” Norris told reporters at a Sunday afternoon
news conference. “We are actively taking sniper fire as we speak.”
A spokesperson with Kootenai Health later confirmed that three patients
were brought to the hospital. Two were dead by the time they arrived and
a third was injured.
The names of the slain and wounded firefighters were released by fire
department officials on Monday afternoon.
Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, who had been with the Kootenai County
fire department for 17 years, was killed, county Fire and Rescue Chief
Christopher Way said during a news conference.
Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, was
also killed. He had worked with the department for 28 years.
Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Engineer David Tysdal, 47, was in critical
condition after undergoing two surgeries.
Cellphone data helps law enforcement find the suspect
Faced with more than 17,000 square feet (1,580 square meters) of
containment area, part of it burning, authorities used cellphone data to
narrow their search. They identified a cell signal around 3:15 p.m. and
noticed it had not changed location for some time, Norris said.
A tactical response team went to the location and found a deceased man
with a weapon nearby. Officials believe the man was the shooter and that
he killed himself, the sheriff said. Investigators said he acted alone.
Who was the suspect?
The suspect has been identified as Wess Roley, a law enforcement
official told The Associated Press on Monday. The official spoke on the
condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the
investigation.
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Wildland firefighters with the United States Forest Service prepare
at a staging area near the scene the day after a shooter ambushed
and killed multiple firefighters responding to a wildfire at
Canfield Mountain Monday, June 30, 2025, in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho.
(AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
He had ties to California and Arizona and was living in Idaho “for
the better part of 2024,” Norris said. Authorities said Monday that
Roley had relatives north of Coeur d'Alene around the Priest River
area and that it appeared Roley had been living out of his vehicle.
He lived with T.J. Franks Jr. for about six months in Sandpoint,
Idaho, while working for a tree service, Franks said Monday. Franks
had cameras in his apartment that caught Roley throwing gang signs
at them one day, which worried Franks to the point that he called
police.
“I didn’t know what to really think about it,” Franks said. “I just
called the cops and had them talk to him.”
The landlord also called Franks one morning because neighbors
reported that Roley’s vehicle had been left running for about 12
hours. Franks said Roley was asleep in his room and said he forgot
about the vehicle.
Franks said Roley “started acting a little weird” and at one point
shaved his long hair off completely.
“We just kind of noticed him starting to decline or kind of go
downhill,” he said.
The fire complicates the crime scene
The brush fire was burning close to the suspect's body on Sunday, so
authorities had to “scoop the body up” before it was engulfed in
flames, Norris said.
Crews were stationed around the area overnight and the sheriff said
the investigation continued Monday. Norris said a full search of the
area would be done to make sure no other weapons were in the
vicinity.
Procession honors fallen firefighters
A procession of fire and law enforcement vehicles accompanied the
bodies of the fallen firefighters as they were taken from the
hospital in Coeur d'Alene to the medical examiner's office in
Spokane, Washington, a neighboring city just across the state line.
Another procession was planned to bring the bodies back to Coeur
d'Alene on Tuesday.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho state flags to be
lowered to half-staff Monday to honor the firefighters until the day
after their memorial service, saying they’ve never seen a “heinous
act of violence like this” directed at firefighters.
“This is not Idaho,” Little said in a statement. “This indescribable
loss is felt deeply by all those in the firefighting community and
beyond.”
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