✎ 2025 Coeur d'Alene shooting
(strictly educational content. i do not support the actions of the perpetrator.)
Wess Val Roley (may 1, 2005-june 29, 2025) was born in California to Heather Lynn Cuchiara and Jason Roley. Wess grew up in an arborist family. (Arborists are professionals in the care and managament of trees and woody plants.) In 2015, his mother requested an order of protection against her now ex-husband Jason, alleging abuse (ex. being pushed to the ground and threatened with a sniper rifle) and expressing concern about drugs and the two guns they had in their house. Wess’s father denied these claims during court. The couple got divorced not long after, his mother was granted primary custody, and Wess moved with her to Phoenix, Arizona, where he also later attended high school.
He was described as funny, interested in politics (was a hardcore Trump supporter) and history. Wess often drew pictures of guns and swastikas into school books. He often got called out due to this, and a former classmate stated he was racist and showed a negative attitude towards people of different cultures. Another former classmate and school friend, Elina Pinkhasova, said he wasn’t a loner and had a big group of people to hang out with. Elina said the obsession with guns was due to his desire to join the US army.
Wess left high school in the middle of the sophomore year and moved to Idaho in summer 2024 to join the tree-rimming service his recently remarried father ran. He lived in an apartment for about 6 months in the city of Sandpoint before moving out in January 2025. His former roommate later went on to desribe Wess’s odd behavior: for example walking around partially clothed, barricading the bathroom door with a chair or throwing up gang signs to security cameras. Wess had been living in his truck before the shooting. The police department had 5 minor interactions with him at this time due to either tespassing or welfare checks.
He tried to enlist in the US Army several times, but was always ruled ineligible (the reason why has not been publicly stated). According to his grandfather, Wess idolised firefighters and wanted to be one of them, but became angry when told he would need to go through training and testing, resulting in eventually getting rejected. His height (5’8”/172cm) might have prevented him from success as well.
In the days before the attack, he made multiple trips to a sporting goods store in Coeur d’Alene, where he bought a shotgun shell belt, earplugs, ammunition, a hunting knife and an energy drink.
On june 29, 2025, 1:21 PM, a fire was reported on the west side of Canfield mountain. First engine companies arrived and spoke to a man who was later identified as Wess, telling him to move his car away. Investigators believe Wess used his arborist climbing skills, perching in a tree to gain an elevated line of fire before shooting. At 2 PM, the firefighters radioed to dispatch that they were receiving gunfire and were taking cover behind their trucks. Around 300 law enforcement personnel came to help the local fire department and a shelter in place was issued for residents. Investigators used cell phone data and drones to determine his location. Wess was found dead around 7:40 PM via self inflicted gunshot wound, the gun and a flint were found nearby, making officers believe he started the fire deliberately to lure his victims closer.
Two firefighters (Frank Harwood - 42, John Morrison - 52) working under the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department were fatally shot and another one (David Tysdal - 47) suffered from severe chest and spinal trauma, resulting in 3 surgeries.
Police and detectives searched his vehicle, where they found another weapon, a note to his father and journal with several drawings:
- actual motive is unknown
- possible suicidal ideation, mental ilness or far-right extremism (it is worth noting that the attack happened on the anniversary of the local fire department burning down the remains of a neo-Nazi compound in the area) or being frustrated with failure and rejection from both the US Army and firefighting department
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