Ambush Suspect Who Killed 2 Firefighters Dreamed of Joining Them

Authorities have identified 20-year-old Wess Roley as the gunman who ambushed firefighters responding to a brush fire Sunday in Coeur d’Alene, killing two battalion chiefs and critically injuring a third firefighter.

According to CNN, Roley’s motives remain unclear. His grandfather told the network that Roley had once aspired to become a firefighter himself.

He was working as an arborist while considering his career path and had no criminal record, though police had previous non-criminal interactions with him.

Investigators say Roley started the fire using a flint starter to lure emergency responders to the scene. When firefighters arrived, Roley allegedly spoke with them briefly before opening fire with a shotgun.

Two battalion chiefs were killed: John Morrison, who served Coeur d’Alene for over 28 years, and Frank Harwood, a former Army National Guard combat engineer with two children. A third firefighter, Dave Tysdal, was critically wounded and remains hospitalized.

Clayton County Fire Chief described the impact on his teams as devastating.

“The families of the fallen as well as the injured are our focus,” he told CNN, adding that surviving firefighters were “shaken” after witnessing the deadly ambush.

Former FBI crisis management and tactical operations leader Jason Pack, who is also a veteran firefighter, told CNN the incident will have nationwide implications.

“They train to fight fire, not take fire,” Pack said. “This has shaken firehouses across the country.”

Authorities said Roley engaged law enforcement in a 90-minute firefight before apparently turning the gun on himself. His body was found near his firearm in a wooded area close to the scene.

Investigators are still working to determine what led Roley, a young man who reportedly dreamed of firefighting, to allegedly orchestrate a deadly attack on first responders.

Some speculate that rejection from the close-knit fire community may have become a perceived grievance, triggering the violence.

Meanwhile, firefighters in Coeur d’Alene continue battling the original brush fire while mourning their colleagues’ deaths.

“You don’t get time off because it was a bad day,” firefighter Ben Hector told CNN. “There’s still just work to do.”

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! ***