The life of a 20-year-old man appears to have been untied in a few months when authorities say he was deadly two firefighters and seriously injured a third as they reacted to wildfires near Coeur d'Alene in Idaho.
Wess Royy lives in his car, and his former roommate, TJ Franks Jr., said he shaved off his long hair and started to “a bit downhill.” Franks said Monday that the two lived together in SandPoint, Idaho, for about six months until Lawley moved out in January.
Lawley committed suicide after Sunday’s shooting, allegedly killing two battalion chiefs whose firefighting professions in Idaho have spanned nearly half a century. The deaths of Frank Harwood, 42, with the Kutnerai County Fire and Rescue Team and the deaths of John Morrison, 52, and Coeur d'Alene Fire Department have escorted their colleagues into accompanying, leading their departments to add law enforcement to each call, regardless of their routine approach.
“I didn't know we would be able to keep people at peace, at least for some time after an incident like this,” said Christopher Way, head of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. “But we are taking everything to keep responders safe.”
Authorities say Royy fired using Flint in the popular recreation area of Canfield Mountain. The firefighters who arrived at the scene found themselves under the train and covering the fire truck.
“There was an interaction with the firefighter,” said Cootnernay County Sheriff Bob Norris. “It had to do with his car parked in place.”
The two helicopters converged in the area and were equipped with snipers ready to remove the suspect when needed, while the FBI used his cell phone data to track him, while the sheriff ordered residents to shelter. They eventually found Worthy's body on the hill, the gun next to him. The sheriff said he committed suicide.
Norris said Worthy had once aspired to be a firefighter and had only a few small contacts with local police. He said the motivation is still unknown.
Norris said he has links to California and Arizona and lives in Idaho, “for most of 2024,” although it's unclear why he is there.
When Reoy lives with Franks, his apartment cameras caught Roily throwing gang signs at them, which made Franks worried that he called police.
At least two people were killed after a sniper ambushed firefighter responded to the fire of Coeur d'Alene's brush, Idaho officials said. Investigators said a late man was found near Canfield Mountain.
The landlord also called Franks one morning, as neighbors reported that the Reoy vehicle had been running for about 12 hours. Franks said Worthy fell asleep in his room and said he had forgotten the car.
Hours after Sunday's shooting, people gathered on Interstate 90, holding the American flag in honor of the body of two fallen firefighters, who were taken to the Medical Examiner's Office in Spokane, Washington, about 56 kilometers from Coeur d'Alene.
Gov. Brad Little ordered us and the Idaho flag to lower it to half the staff in honor of firefighters until a day after their memorial service.
“All our public safety officials, especially our firefighters, face danger bravely every day, but we have never seen such violence in firefighters before,” he said in a statement.
Harwood, one of the victims of the shooting, said at a press conference Monday that the county fire department had been with the county fire department for 17 years. Harwood is married and has two children, and he is also a veteran of the Army National Guard.
Morrison was also killed, who began his career at the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department in 1996 and worked as a paramedic.
David Tysdal, 47, a fire engineer at Coeur D'Alene Fire Department, suffered a gunshot wound and was in critical condition. Authorities say he had two successful surgeries.
“We are still shocked and are working to understand why someone is targeting unarmed, selfless civil servants,” said Coeur d'Alene d'Alene Meyor Woody McEvers.
By Monday afternoon, the fire was “reasonably included” and responders “stopped the progress that was going big,” Way said. The Idaho Department of Land said it has burned about 10.5 hectares.
