Wes Rory, the man who killed two firefighters in Idaho, reportedly exhibited “Nazi tendencies.” Classmates have shared that he often scribbled swastikas and images of firearms in his notebooks.
“My friend noticed a swastika and a gun drawing in his notebook,” recalled Harry Standley, a former classmate.
“We were all pretty scared of him,” Standley mentioned in an interview.
On Sunday, Rory, 20, took his own life in the woods near Coeur d’Alene after he shot the firefighters. A third firefighter sustained serious injuries during the incident, which drew about 300 law enforcement officers in a lengthy standoff.
Standley expressed shock upon seeing Rory’s face in the news, noting it had been years since they last spoke.
“I feel really sad about what happened,” he said, recalling how they lived in the same neighborhood and played video games together.
“He always seemed a bit off,” Standley added, mentioning Rory’s fascination with guns.
Dieter Denen, another classmate who knew Rory since elementary school, noted that Rory had written unsettling things, saying “children are sharp” and made other troubling remarks.
According to classmates, Rory eventually dropped out of high school, allegedly after a conflict involving a girl.
The motivations behind Rory’s attacks remain unclear. Originally from Arizona and California, he was in Idaho looking for work in forestry and firefighting. His grandfather speculated that perhaps Rory faced rejection during a job application process.
“It just doesn’t make sense for him to target firefighters,” said his grandfather, Dale Lowry. “Maybe he was turned away or something.”
The Cootenay County Fire Rescue, one of the agencies affected by Rory’s actions, stated there are no records of him applying for a position with them. The Coeur d’Alene Fire Department was also reviewing their records.
Others familiar with Rory mentioned that his life seemed to be deteriorating in the months leading up to the attack. Some noted he had shaved his head and resorted to living in his car.
The two roommates met while working in tree services and shared an apartment in Sandpoint for about six months. While one roommate described Rory as a decent partner, he noticed unusual behavior when he installed security cameras for the safety of his children. Rory reportedly reacted oddly to their presence.
“I even called the police once because I feared he might become violent,” the roommate noted.
During that time, Rory had never possessed a firearm, which raises questions about the attack that transpired.
Following his move into the car, Rory had no documented criminal history, aside from occasional police interactions regarding his transient lifestyle.
His car, found at the scene of the shooting, was moved to prevent any escape during the ongoing situation. Investigators intend to search the vehicle for clues that might help understand Rory’s motivations.
The firefighters killed in the attack were Battalion Chief Frank Harwood, 42, and Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, who collectively had nearly 50 years of experience in firefighting.
