More details are emerging about the shooter who apparently drew Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, firefighters into an ambush and opened fire. The shooter has been identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley, and on Monday afternoon, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris stated that Roley had only “very minor” interactions with law enforcement and no criminal history.
Investigators say local law enforcement has had five interactions with Roley in North Idaho, all of them have been “very, very minor.”
“We don’t show any criminal history for Roley,” Sheriff Norris said.
Roley has lived in California, Idaho and Arizona.
At the news conference Monday, the sheriff gave reporters a picture from Roley’s Instagram account that had been recently removed.
It shows Roley dressed in camoflague with his face painted and partially masked.
The photograph shows an image of (presumably) Roley, as noted, camouflaged up, and with a belt of what appears to be 12-gauge shotgun shells around his waist. It is not known when the photo was taken. Without the benefit of hindsight, it could be taken to be a young man dressed up for a paintball duel.
Sheriff Norris also revealed that Roley had spoken with firefighters before the shooting:
Norris said Roley talked to firefighters before the shooting “and there was a discussion” but the sheriff said they’re not aware of his motive for the shooting.
The sheriff said that discussion had something to do with where Roley’s vehicle was parked.
Investigators say they know Roley used a shotgun with rifled slugs; they’re still processing the scene and have not yet found any other weapons.
The sheriff said Roley grew up in an arborist family and is comfortable in the trees. He said that one report indicated Roley may have been firing at first responders from a perch in a tree when they arrived.
A shotgun with slugs, we might note, is a short-range proposition as long guns go, most effective within 100 yards. A hunting rifle of the kind routinely used in states like Idaho for deer and elk has a range three times that, if the shooter is capable. But within that 100-yard range, a 12-gauge shotgun with slugs packs a considerable wallop. This is pure speculation, but this would seem to indicate that Roley was fairly close to his victims when he opened fire, perhaps, as the report notes, in a tree.
See Also: Multiple Firefighters Shot in Coeur d’Alene, ID—May Have Been an Ambush, Suspect Still on the Loose
UPDATED: Dead Man With Firearm Found at Coeur d’Alene Shooting Site—2 Firefighters Confirmed Killed
Roley’s grandfather was interviewed and expressed some surprise:
His grandfather, Dale Roley, spoke with 4 News Now over the phone Monday morning. He said he had no idea his grandson, Wess Roley, would do something like this.
He said Wess was living in Coeur d’Alene and working for a tree company and trying to get into forestry. He said he hiked in the Canfield Mountain area often.
From start to finish, this whole thing just doesn’t make a lot of sense. But things like this shouldn’t make sense to the rest of us.
The names of the fallen firefighters are expected to be released sometime on Monday.
This is a developing story. We’ll bring you updates as events warrant.
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