HAYDEN, Idaho — Wess Val Roley, 20, has been identified as the lone shooter in yesterday’s ambush style attack on fire crews responding to a brush fire on the east side of Canfield Mountain on Nettleton Gulch Road.
Roley was born on May 1, 2005, in California with additional residences in Arizona and Idaho and no known criminal record. Roley’s social media appears to have been wiped. There are no ties to Islamic Jihad as some prior media coverage stated.
According to Sheriff Bob Norris, Roley expressed interest in a career as a firefighter, although there’s no indication he applied for any training.
Reports indicate that Roley, who was a transient to the area and suspected of living in his vehicle, had a discussion with firefighters before the attack began about his vehicle, which is now evidence in the incident.
Officials announced that Roley suffered a fatal injury from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Norris confirmed that sheriff’s deputies exchanged gunfire with Roley who was possibly located in a tree at that time. Roley “grew up in an arborist family” which suggests he knew how to comfortably scale trees.
Over 300 first responders from local, state, and federal agencies participated in the response to the rural active shooting.
At last night’s press conference, officials gave a brief overview of the timeline of the attack, confirming that the fire had been intentional and responding firefighters were targeted by an unnamed shooter who was found deceased and removed from the scene before the fire damaged the body.
The officials also confirmed that two victims had been killed and one critically injured. Identities of the victims to be released at 4:00 p.m. today.
Sunday, June 29 Timeline:
- 1:21 p.m. unidentified male called in brush fire on Nettlegulch Road
- 2:00 p.m. responding fire crews reported “shoots fired” from an “active shooter” and requested law enforcement
- 3:15 p.m. cell phone pinging from same area narrowed down location of suspected shooter
- 3:30 p.m. civilian still coming off Canfield’s popular hiking trail
- 7:40 p.m. body of suspected shooter found and removed due to encroaching fire
