The family of Wess Roley, the alleged Idaho sniper who fatally shot two firefighters in an ambush, has issued a statement, saying they "do not understand why" the attack happened or how it "came about."
Roley reportedly lured firefighters to the woods after starting a brushfire at Canfield Mountain just north of Coeur d'Alene, a popular recreation area, on Sunday.
"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," Roley's family said in a statement obtained by the New York Post on Monday.
"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," they continued.
"Our hearts and spirits are broken for the lost and hurting, and for our own loss as well," the family said, adding that they intend to fully cooperate with investigators as they "deal with the grief of this heinous tragedy in our own family."
After attacking responding fire crews, Roley, 20, turned the gun on himself. The Post reported that approximately 300 law enforcement officers responded to the scene as Roley fired from the wooded terrain. His body was found after a shootout that reportedly lasted 90 minutes.
In addition to the two firefighters who were killed, one was seriously wounded but was reported to be in stable condition.
As of Monday, the fire Roley is suspected of having set had grown to 26 acres and was "reasonably contained," authorities said.
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris said Roley attacked the first responders after they asked him to move his vehicle.
The Post reported that no motive has yet been identified, but investigators have ruled out terrorism.
Roley was reportedly living out of his vehicle and had a handful of minor run-ins with police since arriving in the Coeur d'Alene area in 2024.
He had ties to California and Arizona and had no criminal record in either state or in his current home of Idaho.
Norris said Roley had once aspired to be a firefighter, and he may have moved to Idaho to pursue a career in that field.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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