Chilling New Details Revealed On Idaho Firefighter Sniper: ‘Pretty Scared Of Him’

Former classmates of alleged Idaho shooter Wess Roley say they were surprised to see him in the news for senseless violence, but revealed that he exhibited some concerning behaviors while sitting next to them on a daily basis.

Roley, 20, was found dead by his own hand in the woods of Coeur d’Alene after shooting a sniper rifle at firefighters who responded to an intentional brushfire, according to authorities. He killed two and gravely wounded a third.

Since the tragedy unfolded on Sunday, an investigation has shed new light on Roley’s earlier life that provides clues into what motive may have inspired him to commit the unspeakable act.

Those who remember Roley from school say he was “obsessed with guns” even as a child and alarmed fellow classmates by doodling Nazi swastikas in his notebooks.

“My good friend saw drawings of swastikas and guns in his notebook,” said former classmate Harry Standley, who went to middle and high school with Roley.

“We were all pretty scared of him,” Standley told USA Today.

More than 300 law enforcement officers converged on Canfield Mountain, where Roley crouched in hiding and posted a final message on social media before carrying out his deadly plan. Other classmates said they were shocked to see Roley’s face on the news and that they hadn’t heard from him in years.

“I’m just really sad about what happened,” Standley said.

As kids, Standley said he and Roley would play video games or tromp through the woods. Standley said the future shooter was a “funny guy” when he wanted to be.

“Everybody just thought he was weird,” he added. “He was also obsessed with guns.”

Dieter Denen, who had known Roley since elementary school, recalled seeing him act like a “kid being edgy” and “trying to stand out” with his drawings.

Roley suddenly disappeared from school one day, according to Denen, and other classmates suspected he had been expelled “after some trouble with a girl.”

A statement by Roley’s family members claims they are cooperating with investigators. The Arizona and California native moved to Idaho after school, possibly to pursue a career in firefighting, the NY Post reported.

“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.”

Daley Roley speculated that the height of his grandson, who stood 5’8″, may have prevented him from qualifying for a job with the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department.

“Maybe he got rejected or something,” said the stunned older man.

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, one of the agencies that lost a firefighter in the shooting, told the Post that they have no record of Roley ever applying for a position. The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, which lost another firefighter, said it is still reviewing its records.

Others who knew Roley more recently stated that he began to “kind of go downhill” in recent months.

TJ Franks, Roley’s former roommate, told the Guardian that he saw Roley shave his head and move out in January. He told Franks he was planning to live in his car.

The two met while working in the tree service industry and shared a flat in Sandpoint for about six months.

All was fine at first, but Roley became “disturbed” after Franks installed security cameras at the property to better protect his children, he told a local news outlet.

“So, I took [them] down when [my] kids weren’t here. And then, one night, I forgot to unplug the camera, and he came in while we weren’t home and he threw up some disturbing signs,” Franks told King 5.

“And so I actually ended up calling the police because I was worried, you know, that he might be wanting to be violent.”

Franks said he called police on another occasion to report that Roley’s car had been running for 12 straight hours. Roley told officers he had fallen asleep and forgotten about his vehicle.

The ex-roommate said he did not remember Roley ever bringing a firearm around the property.

Law enforcement officials say they had just a few “very, very minor” run-ins with Roley while he was living in his car, including several wellness checks.