When people go searching for who was the shooter in Idaho, their minds usually jump straight to the 2022 Moscow tragedy. It's understandable. That case felt like it never ended. But honestly, if you're looking at the most recent headlines or trying to make sense of the chaos that happened this past summer in North Idaho, the name you’re actually looking for is Wess Val Roley.
Life in Coeur d’Alene is generally pretty quiet. It's a place of mountains and lakes, not tactical ambushes. But on June 29, 2025, that changed in a way that left the whole state reeling. It wasn't just a random act of violence; it was a calculated, terrifying trap that specifically targeted the people we usually send into danger to save us.
The Man Behind the Canfield Mountain Ambush
So, who was Wess Val Roley? Basically, he was a 20-year-old guy who had recently moved to Idaho from California. He didn't have a long criminal record. He wasn't some known radical. In fact, he was a trained arborist. He knew how to climb trees—not just for fun, but professionally. That specific skill turned out to be the most chilling part of the story.
Investigators eventually figured out that Roley used his climbing gear to perch himself high up in a tree on the western slope of Canfield Mountain. From that elevated position, he had a "kill zone" laid out. But he didn't just wait for people to show up. He lured them.
Roley used a flint starter to ignite a brush fire. He knew exactly what would happen next. He knew that local fire crews would rush to the smoke to keep the mountain from burning.
The Face of the Incident
When the first responders arrived around 1:21 p.m., they actually spoke to him. Think about that for a second. They saw a young man with a truck and asked him to move it so they could get to the fire. It was a normal, professional interaction. Then, at 2:00 p.m., everything went sideways.
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The gunfire started, and it wasn't from the ground. It was coming from above.
Breaking Down the Facts: Who Was the Shooter in Idaho and What Was Used?
If you’re trying to wrap your head around the mechanics of the attack, it was brutal. Roley wasn't using a high-tech sniper rifle. He was using a 12-gauge Mossberg pump-action shotgun loaded with rifled slugs. These aren't birdshot. Slugs are heavy, solid projectiles meant to stop big game.
The victims were people who had dedicated their lives to the community:
- Frank Harwood: A Battalion Chief with Kootenai County Fire & Rescue. He had 17 years of service.
- John Morrison: A Battalion Chief for the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department. He was a 28-year veteran.
- David Tysdal: An Engineer who was critically wounded but survived.
Tysdal's bravery is actually what helped police narrow things down. Even while he was pinned inside his rig with multiple gunshot wounds—including a collapsed lung and spinal damage—he stayed on the radio. He told dispatchers the shooter was wearing dark clothing and a mask. That information was vital during the five-hour manhunt that followed.
Is This About the Moscow Murders?
Sometimes when people ask who was the shooter in Idaho, they are actually trying to find an update on the University of Idaho case from a few years back. It's easy to get the "Idaho shooter" stories crossed because they both involve such massive media coverage.
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For the record, the person responsible for the 2022 Moscow stabbings was Bryan Kohberger. While that wasn't a "shooting" in the traditional sense, the term often gets lumped into general searches about Idaho violence.
As of early 2026, Kohberger is officially off the "suspect" list and is now a convicted killer. In July 2025, right around the time the state was mourning the firefighters in Coeur d'Alene, Kohberger took a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. He’s currently serving four consecutive life sentences without parole at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution. If you’re following that specific story, the latest news involves the families of the victims suing Washington State University, claiming the school ignored red flags about Kohberger before the crimes happened.
What Most People Get Wrong About Wess Roley
The weirdest thing about the Wess Roley case is the motive. Or rather, the lack of one.
Usually, in these high-profile cases, you find a manifesto. You find a social media trail of hate or some political grievance. With Roley, it was just... strange. His father, Jason Roley, told reporters he had no idea his son even owned a gun. He described him as a kid who "never killed anything."
But the digital footprint told a different story. Police found a deleted Instagram story where Roley was wearing camouflage and a mask. The background music? Björk’s "Hunter." It’s a song about going on a hunt, and the lyrics are pretty literal in that context.
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- No criminal history: He had a few interactions with police, but nothing that would land him on a watch list.
- Military rejection: He tried to join the Army several times but was ruled ineligible. We still don't know exactly why.
- The "Firefighter" Dream: His grandfather mentioned that Roley actually wanted to be a forest firefighter at one point. He idolized them.
That last part is what sticks in the craw of the local community. How do you go from idolizing firefighters to setting a trap to kill them? Investigators are still digging into his mental state in the months leading up to June 2025. Friends noticed he’d started acting "erratic"—shaving his head, barricading doors, and living out of his truck near Sandpoint.
The Reality of Gun Violence in Idaho 2026
Idaho has a very strong gun culture, and that’s not changing. But these specific types of "active shooter" events have changed the way local law enforcement operates.
For example, just this past December in 2025, there was another officer-involved shooting in Idaho Falls. A man lunged for a knife during a domestic disturbance and was killed by police. Then there was the incident at the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office in Wallace where a gunman actually opened fire inside the lobby.
It feels like things are getting more volatile, but the data says otherwise. According to experts like David Riedman from Idaho State University, school shootings and some types of violent crime actually dropped slightly in 2025 compared to the peak in 2023.
Why the Ambush Label Matters
When authorities call the Roley case a "total ambush," they aren't just using a buzzword. It’s a specific classification that changes how fire and EMS crews are trained. Now, when a brush fire is reported in a secluded area, there’s a much higher chance that police will be cleared to enter the scene first or at least provide "cover" for the firefighters. It’s a sad reality for a state that prides itself on being rugged and independent.
Actionable Steps for Staying Informed
If you are following the aftermath of the who was the shooter in Idaho story, there are a few things you can actually do to stay updated on the legal and community shifts happening right now:
- Follow the EICIT Reports: The East Idaho Critical Incident Taskforce (and the North Idaho equivalent) handles all major shooting investigations involving the public or officers. Their reports are usually released to the public after the prosecutor finishes their review.
- Monitor the WSU Lawsuit: If your interest is actually in the Bryan Kohberger case, the Washington State University lawsuit is the next big legal hurdle. It’s going to reveal a lot about how universities track (or fail to track) "predatory" behavior in graduate students.
- Support the Wildland Firefighter Foundation: After the June 2025 shooting, this organization has been the primary source of support for the families of Harwood and Morrison. They provide real-time updates on the recovery of Engineer Tysdal, who is still undergoing rehabilitation in Colorado for his spinal injuries.
The story of the Idaho shooter isn't just about one guy with a shotgun on a mountain. It's about how a community that relies on volunteers and local heroes handles the betrayal of that trust. Whether it's the 2022 Moscow case or the 2025 Coeur d'Alene ambush, the focus is slowly shifting from the names of the shooters to the resilience of the people left behind.