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Idaho Gunman Sets Blaze, Murders Two Firefighters Before Killing Himself

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Published Jul 2, 2025, 12:00 AM

Authorities in northern Idaho say a gunman set a brush fire on Canfield Mountain outside Coeur d’Alene on 29 June and then opened fire on first-responders, killing two veteran battalion chiefs and critically wounding a third firefighter. The attack prompted a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents and drew scores of local, state and federal officers, including FBI teams and helicopter-borne snipers.

Sheriff Bob Norris identified the assailant as 20-year-old Wess Roley, a transient who once expressed interest in firefighting. Investigators believe Roley started the blaze with a flint fire starter, climbed into the trees and ambushed the crew with a shotgun. After several hours of searching aided by mobile-phone data, deputies found him dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound; no other suspects are sought and a motive remains unclear.

The fallen firefighters were Frank Harwood, 42, of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, and John Morrison, 52, of the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. Engineer Dave Tysdal, 47, remains in critical condition after two surgeries. Governor Brad Little ordered U.S. and Idaho flags lowered to half-staff, and local fire agencies have added law-enforcement escorts to routine calls. The wildfire, which burned about 26 acres, was contained by the following afternoon as investigators combed the scene for evidence.

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