Frank Harwood, a 42-year-old White male from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, tragically lost his life on June 29, 2025, in a horrifying ambush. A respected Battalion Chief for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, Harwood was a 17-year veteran of the department, known for his leadership and dedication. He was also a former combat engineer with the Army National Guard.
His life was cut short while responding to what was reported as a brush fire on Canfield Mountain, a call that turned out to be a deadly trap.
Responding to the fire, Harwood and his fellow firefighters were met not with a routine blaze, but with a hail of gunfire. The incident was a calculated ambush, a deliberate act of violence against first responders. The gunman, perched in a sniper position, had intentionally set the fire to lure them to the remote location. The initial moments of the response descended into chaos as the firefighters, who had arrived to battle a wildfire, found themselves under attack, forced to take cover behind trees and their own vehicles.
The senseless act of violence claimed the life of not only Chief Harwood but also another esteemed firefighter, 52-year-old John Morrison, a Battalion Chief with the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department. A third firefighter, Engineer Dave Tysdal, was critically injured in the attack. The loss of two veteran firefighters sent shockwaves of grief through the close-knit community and the broader firefighting brotherhood. Harwood was remembered as a devoted husband and a loving father to two children.
The suspected gunman was identified as 20-year-old Wess Roley. After the ambush, law enforcement launched a massive search for the shooter in the hilly, wooded terrain. Roley was later found dead from what authorities believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, his motive for the horrific attack leaving a community to grapple with unanswered questions. The tragedy of that day served as a grim reminder of the unforeseen dangers that first responders can face in the line of duty.
