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Authorities Publish Roley’s Letter and Sketches Following Deadly Idaho Firefighter Ambush

The disclosures shed light on Roley’s meticulous planning, spawning safety protocol reviews, deeper motive inquiries.

A line of wildland firefighters arrive at 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)
Idaho Department of Lands firefighters inspect an ATV 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)
Printouts distributed at a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office press briefing depict suspect Wess Roley, a day after two firefighters were shot dead, while responding to a fire and the body of a man was later found with a gun nearby in the Canfield Mountain area outside Coeur d’Alene, in Hayden, Idaho, U.S. June 30, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder
Wildland firefighters prepare gear 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)

Overview

  • Kootenai County deputies released a letter in which 20-year-old Wess Roley told his father he was “going into battle” and bid him farewell.
  • Graphic drawings recovered from Roley’s residence depict a shotgun aimed at his neck, the phrase “kill kill kill,” and runic symbols linked to extremist ideology.
  • The June 29 ambush on Canfield Mountain killed Battalion Chiefs Frank Harwood and John Morrison and wounded a third firefighter before Roley took his own life.
  • Investigators revealed Roley had twice been turned away by Army recruiters and became agitated when his May inquiry at a Coeur d’Alene fire station met standard testing requirements.
  • Officials have launched an ongoing review of first-responder safety protocols and are probing Roley’s motivations and possible ideological connections.