Wednesday, 09 July 2025

Family of Idaho Shooter Wess Roley Speaks Out, Issues Formal Statement

100 Percent Fed Up
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The family of Idaho shooter Wess Roley has officially issued a statement through their attorney Justin P. Whittenton.

Here is a copy of the letter:

FULL TRANSCRIPT:

June 30, 2025
Please see the below statement from my client and their family:

Good afternoon,

At this time, we, the family of Wess Roley, would like to offer our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those whose lives were taken and to the community of Coeur d’Alene at large. There are no words that can suffice for this tragedy and the infinite losses suffered by those affected by this shooting. We do not understand why this happened or how this came about. Our hearts and spirits are broken for the lost and hurting, and for our own loss as well.

We intend to fully cooperate with authorities in seeking answers. As we also deal with the grief of this heinous tragedy in our own family, we will not be answering any questions outside of law enforcement.

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Sincerely,
Justin P. Whittenton
Attorney at law

In case you missed it, here are more details we learned yesterday about the shooter:

Idaho Sh**ter Identified, Photos Emerge, Possible Motive — Here’s All We Know So Far

Idaho Sh**ter Identified, Photos Emerge, Possible Motive -- Here's All We Know So Far

The man who shot 11 people and killed two in Idaho last night has now been identified as 20-year old Wess Roley.

Yes, another 20-year old.

More here from Amuse:

Here he is reportedly with a pink mermaid keychain on his backpack, because that's totally normal:

And yes, the comparisons to Thomas Matthew Crooks seem hard to ignore:

Here's a quick summary of everything we know so far:

  • Wess Roley, 20, was identified as the suspect behind the June 29, 2025, ambush that killed two firefighters and injured another in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

  • He allegedly set a brush fire deliberately on Canfield Mountain and then waited in a sniper position, wearing camouflage and firing on first responders as they arrived.

  • Roley was armed with a shotgun loaded with rifled slugs and used the terrain and his arborist skills to conceal himself and carry out a calculated attack.

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  • After a massive law enforcement response and hours of searching, Roley was found dead in the woods nearby, believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

  • He had no criminal record, but had prior non-criminal contact with law enforcement, such as welfare checks and a trespassing incident.

  • According to his family, Roley had previously aspired to be a firefighter, worked in tree services, and was considered intelligent but socially isolated and emotionally high-strung.

  • One potential motive investigators are exploring is resentment or disillusionment tied to a failed dream of becoming a firefighter—he may have become embittered after not achieving that goal.

  • Roley had also expressed anger toward government and authority figures in some online posts and talked about “rage” and destruction, though he didn’t align with any known extremist group.

  • Investigators also noted he had a fascination with wildfires and firefighting response, which could indicate an obsession or twisted desire for attention or control.

  • His recent behavior included isolation, couch surfing, and living out of his vehicle—signs that he may have been in mental or emotional distress leading up to the attack.

    • You can see more photos here:

    And here:

    The Daily Mail reports the ambush killings may have been due to his rejection from the local fire department.  I know it's no laughing matter, but just like that Seinfeld episode where Kramer and Newman create a story about Kramer being distraught because he was never able to become a banker:

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    The 20-year-old suspected of shooting two firemen dead in Idaho dreamed of joining the fire department himself and may have been rejected, his relatives have revealed.

    Wess Val Roley might have been turned down for a firefighting job because of his height, his grandfather has speculated in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

    Roley, who was 5-foot-8, is believed to have fatally shot two firefighters and wounded a third on Sunday after lighting a bush on fire and ambushing the first responders.

    He allegedly launched a barrage of gunfire over several hours around 1.30pm at Canfield Mountain, close to the town of Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho.

    Roley was found dead beside a gun almost six hours later. Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said officials believe he shot himself.

    Norris also confirmed his department 'had information' that Roley wanted to be a firefighter, and shared a terrifying image of the suspect from his social media.

    The photograph, shared on Instagram stories, shows California-born Roley wearing a balaclava with a coal-like substance smeared on his face, as well as a belt of rifle shells.

    He also shared a Bjork song hours before the shooting that included a warning in its lyrics: 'I'm going hunting.'

    Your thoughts?

    This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport.

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    View the original article here.


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