It turns out 20-year-old Wess Val Roley who allegedly shot and killed two firefighters was actually rejected because of his height!
Wess Val Roley, the suspect in this tragic case, was reportedly denied entry into the fire department because he didn’t meet the height requirements.
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.’
Authorities said Roley had been living out of his car before his heinous attack, which left two firefighters dead and another critically wounded.
‘He actually really respected law enforcement,’ the alleged shooter’s grandfather, Dale Roley, told NBC News.
‘He loved firefighters. It didn’t make sense that he was shooting firefighters.
‘I know he had been in contact to get a job with a fire department. He wanted to be part of a team that he sort of idolized.
‘Maybe he got rejected or something,’ the stunned grandfather said, adding that his height might have prevented him from joining the department.
Officials said preliminary information indicates the suspect acted alone in the shooting, and detectives have not yet identified a motive.
The suspect’s grandfather added that he worked at a tree service and had tree-climbing skills needed to help with tackling wildfires.
He was also trained in using firearms, and used to venture out on hog hunts.
Roley’s grandfather said that he often appeared ‘nervous’, ‘high strung’ and ‘kind of a loner’, but he felt these were ‘normal issues for kids these days’.
‘I feel real terrible for those killed,’ the grandfather said.
Sheriff Norris described the attack as a ‘total ambush’. ‘These firefighters did not have a chance,’ he said.
We still have the suspect’s vehicle down an embankment of the mountain,’ Norris said.
‘Deputies who responded on scene thought it would be in their best interest to get rid of what they thought was Roley’s vehicle.
‘They pushed it over the side so that he couldn’t get in it and flee.’
‘It did appear that he was living in the vehicle,’ he added.
This whole situation is definitely a crazy one, and it just goes to show you never know what might lead someone down a dangerous path.
