The disturbing t-shirt that may hold answers to Idaho sniper Wess Roley’s dark obsession

The sniper who lured teams of firefighters to a bush fire in Idaho before ambushing them, killing two, appears to have held a fascination with European neo-Nazis and heavy-metal.

In now deleted images shared to social media by his stepfather, Wess Roley, 20, can be seen in a t-shirt by Norwegian black metal band ‘Darkthrone’.

The group have sparked controversy in the past for their association with fellow Norwegian metal musician Kristian ‘Varg’ Vikernes. 

Vikernes fronts the one-man black metal band ‘Burzum’ having previously played bass for metal band ‘Mayhem’. He was previously arrested for allegedly plotting a terror attack in France and is described widely as a neo-Nazi. 

In 1994, Darkthrone released their fourth album ‘Transilvanian Hunger’, which was partially written by Vikernes. 

Early pressings of the album contained the phrase ‘Norsk Arisk Black Metal’ on its packaging, which translates to ‘Norwegian Aryan Black Metal’. It was later removed.

Following the release of the album with the offending phrase, Darkthrone said: ‘If any man should attempt to criticize this LP, he should be thoroughly patronized for his obviously Jewish behavior.’

Besides ‘Transylvanian Hunger’, Vikernes is listed as having also written one song on their 1995 follow up album ‘Panzerfaust’. 

In now deleted images shared to social media by his stepfather, Wess Roley can be seen in a t-shirt by Norwegian black metal band ‘Darkthrone’

The group have sparked controversy in the past for their association with fellow Norwegian metal musician Kristian ‘Varg’ Vikernes 

They later u-turned on the statement being on the album, saying the word ‘Jewish’ in Norwegian slang actually means to be stupid. 

The band added: ‘Darkthrone is certainly not a Nazi band nor a political band. Those of you who still might think so, you can lick Mother Mary’s a****** in eternity.’ 

In August 1993, Vikernes fatally stabbed Mayhem guitarist Euronymous during a row at the latter’s apartment.

He was convicted a year later of first-degree murder, church arson and possession of explosives.  He argued the killing was self-defense and unsuccessfully argued for the charge to be reduced to voluntary manslaughter.

Vikernes was sentenced to 21 years in prison – served 15 years and was released on parole in 2009 – moving to France with his wife and children.

He openly supported Nazism during the 1990s and in 2022 said he ‘appreciated’ being labelled as a Nazi.

The t-shirt in question seen on Roley promotes the 2011 Darkthrone release, titled ‘Sempiternal Past’.

Roley slaughtered two firefighters, who haven’t been named, and left a third critically-ill after starting a brush fire on Canfield Mountain, outside of Coeur d’Alene on Sunday. Cops fear the blaze was used to bait the fire department.

In 1994, Darkthrone released their fourth album ‘Transilvanian Hunger’, the front cover of the album is seen here. It was partially written by Vikernes

The t-shirt in question seen on Roley promotes the 2011 Darkthrone release, titled ‘Sempiternal Past’

Law enforcement and emergency responders at Cherry Hill Park off 15th Street on June 29 after the ambush

It remains unclear if Roley was employed, public records say his last address was listed as being in Phoenix, Arizona. A motive has not been revealed yet.  

Roley was seen glowering from a driver’s license photo but was also pictured on social media images with strikingly-long hair which emphasized his delicate features.

Just last month his mother Heather Lynn Kuuipo Cuchiara shared a post to Facebook celebrating his birthday.

No public social media profiles have been unearthed for Riley and he does not appear to have left any kind of manifesto explaining his reason to murder two. 

Roley’s father Jason, 39, lives about an hour’s drive away from the scene of the shooting, in the town of Priest River, Idaho.

Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris said on Sunday it was unclear if Roley was killed by a cop’s bullet, or if he took his own life. 

His body was pulled away from the scene just as the blaze began to spread across Canfield Mountain.

The fire was first reported at around 1.21pm. Two local firefighters – one from Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and another from Kootenai County Fire & Rescue – were shot and killed while scoping out the scene.

A third was left ‘fighting for his life’ after being struck and rushed to surgery, but is now described as being in a stable condition.

‘This was a total ambush. These firefighters did not have a chance,’ Norris said on Sunday. 

Roley was seen glowering from a driver’s license photo

Authorities say the killer started a brush fire, seen here, to lure firefighters onto Canfield Mountain

The scene was sheer pandemonium as the brush fire burned and firefighters rushed to the scene only to come under heavy fire. Roley’s motive for the shooting remains unclear.

Harrowing fire department scanner calls revealed the terror the first responders faced as they arrived on the scene. 

‘Send law enforcement right now! There’s an active shooter zone,’ one firefighter could be heard crying out.

‘Everybody’s shot up here!’ the firefighter continued, noting that two battalion chiefs were ‘down’ and he was ‘pinned.’

He was later heard warning his fellow firefighters, ‘Stop. Do not come up here.’ ‘It’s clear to me that this fire was set intentionally to draw us in,’ the firefighter claimed.

On Sunday evening, the two firefighters killed were transported from Kootenai Health to Spokane, Washington. 

A procession of police cars, ambulances and fire trucks followed them to pay their final respects.