‘I’m not ready to accept it’: Idaho firefighter shooting killed titans from two departments

“The Table” sits in the main room of Fire Station 3, situated near the base of Canfield Mountain in Coeur d’Alene.

At that table, firefighters gather for dinners, for performance reviews, to squelch rumors, to talk about the budget, to play games and to discuss family.

Just days ago, larger-than-life Battalion Chief John Morrison, 52, would walk into that room to have coffee.

He’d eye the room, find a subject for his discussion and sit down.

“When he walked in, you wondered who he would pick,” Coeur d’Alene Fire Captain Nate Hyder said. “He cared about everybody. He could make you feel like the most important person in the world. When he walked away, you felt great.”

Several of Morrison’s co-workers gathered Friday around that table to talk about the man who was killed along with 42-year-old Frank Harwood, of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, in what has been described as an ambush attack on June 29 on Canfield Mountain, just up the slope from the station Morrison once served.

The shooting also injured 47-year-old David Tysdal. The suspected shooter, 20-year-old Wess Roley, died at the scene.

“This is where everything is safe. It’s where everyone is equal,” Hyder said of the table. “Just days ago, we were sitting right there talking about camping in September and how excited he was. If I ever leave this job, this table is what I’ll remember.”

Former Fire Chief Kenny Gabriel, who retired in 2022 and serves on the Coeur d’Alene City Council, said he remembers the first day he met Morrison. It was in 1996.

“I was upstairs when he knocked on the door. He said, ‘Hi, I’m John. I’m here to go to work today,’ ” Gabriel said.

“We have been close friends ever since.”

Gabriel was there last Sunday with Morrison’s wife when she received the official word.

“John was just stellar,” Gabriel said. “I’m not going to fluff this up. I’ve told him this to his face. He’s the smartest, wittiest, funniest human being I’ve known in my life. I told him that his devotion to his service is dwarfed only by his devotion to his family.”

Morrison loved to golf, fish, drive and engage in debates, which, according to his co-workers, he never lost.

“John Morrison was one of these people that God put down here to make it a better place,” Gabriel said.

Friends and colleagues also reflected on the life and legacy of Harwood, a strong mentor and dedicated husband and father they said was known for navigating “intense” incidents.

Pete Holley, the deputy chief of operations for Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, said he met Harwood on Holley’s first day on the job.

“He was my driver,” Holley said. “I’d spent probably two shifts working with him and I knew right from the get-go that whatever I did in my career, I needed to do it how Frank was doing it. He was an example for me for my entire career.”

Kicking the football, inspiring a team

In the spring of 2024, apparently inspired by co-worker and former Washington State University kicker Michael Bowlin, Morrison started kicking around the idea of making an extra point in Cherry Hill Park, which is adjacent to the station.

By the end of the discussion, Morrison claimed he could kick a 50-yard field goal.

Then the big moment came.

“I don’t think the ball went 5 feet,” engineer Matt Church said. “John says, ‘Kicking is stupid.’ ”

Then as the firefighters were laughing at Morrison’s failure, a Coeur d’Alene Police officer saw the commotion and walked over.

“He went right out there in his uniform and duty boots. He kicks the ball, it goes right through,” Church said.

Of course, Morrison wasn’t done; he began making wagers for who could run the fastest 40-yard dash, or who could long-snap the best.

“He believed he could do it,” Church said.

Last Christmas, Morrison invited the crew to downtown Coeur d’Alene as part of their holiday party.

When crew members arrived, they learned Morrison had organized a race – in adult-sized big wheel trikes.

Imagine a group of firefighters racing larger versions of children’s toys down Sherman Avenue at night.

“It was a blast,” Hyder said. “That was John. He always had these ideas. Sometimes, it was just a home run. I thought those were the best Christmas parties.”

Capt. Matt Tosi said the professional side of Morrison was just as endearing.

“The job mattered, but us loving the job mattered more,” Tosi said.

Capt. Matt Sowa said Morrison’s demeanor at a fire put everyone at ease.

“He had a lot of confidence to assess a situation and provide a solution,” Sowa said. “You knew he was going to find the right solution for a problem.”

Church said he would also own any mistakes he made.

“He had that calming voice on a radio. He’s not getting excited,” Church said. “That helped us get the job done.”

Firefighter Max McCormick said Morrison always wanted his crews to perform well.

“But he trusted us,” McCormick said. “I always appreciated that. As our boss, he had our backs. He expected you to be kind, compassionate and professional.”

Tosi said Morrison loved his crew and had exacting standards but remained humble.

“He’d tell you that he didn’t do anything,” he said.

The loss of Morrison was still too fresh for the crew, which spent about a third of its working lives with him, to address.

“It wasn’t real,” Church said of the shooting.

“I’m not ready to accept it,” Sowa said.

Reputation for greatness

Just as Morrison was a larger-than-life figure for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, Holley described a similar role for Harwood, who carried the same title: battalion chief.

Holley, with Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, said Harwood had worked the past 17 years with the department. He is also a former member of the Army National Guard, which included a tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to his obituary.

“As a battalion chief, he’s led some of our most intense and complicated scenes,” Holley said. “So, he’s been known and has a reputation of being a great fireman.”

Just like Morrison, Harwood’s main focus stayed at home, with his wife and two daughters. He cheered them on at sporting games, explored the outdoors with them, found “humor in all things” and accepted them for who they are, his obituary says.

“His girls were his world,” Holley said. “He was all in as a firefighter, but when he was with his family and even here, his family was something that he talked about all the time.”

As a battalion chief, Harwood supervised a crew of about 25 firefighters.

“I mean, he knew everybody; everybody’s family’s name, their wives and their kids,” Holley said.

Harwood’s expertise, humility and commitment to the job helped shape hundreds of careers, his obituary says. He had a desire “to make everyone around him better” and embodied what it meant to be a mentor for younger firefighters.

Outside of work, Harwood loved to hit the streams.

“There’s a bunch of guys here at the department who actually formed a fishing club,” he said. “They go out and do fly -fishing. That’s something that he loved to do. (Harwood) grew up playing hockey, and he’s an amazing hockey player.”

Harwood’s hockey team, comprising many first responders in the Coeur d’Alene area, is known as the Icemen. After his death, hockey players put their sticks outside their front doors as a way to honor their former teammate. It’s a tight-knit family, said Mike Baker, who played frequently on Harwood’s team as a goalie.

In the locker room, when Baker would sub-in as a goalie for the Icemen, he often took note of how close the first responders on the team were, like a small family. Baker remembers someone needed help moving, and everyone hopped in their trucks to assist with no questions. Harwood was just a guy who took care of others, and it’s a joy to be around someone like that, Baker said.

“He was a really good, fun human to be around. He was out there to have fun. When you look at the hard things firefighters do, having an outlet like hockey is important,” Baker said. “We are really going to miss him. He brought such a strong spirit to the ice.”

On Monday, the hockey community came together to talk about Harwood and give a toast in his memory.

“Frank would want us to keep playing,” Baker said. “It’s a tragedy. We lost such a good friend.”

On Tuesday, crowds came out to show their support from Spokane to the Lake City during the fallen firemen’s formal procession back to Idaho. Thousands of flag-waving supporters honored Morrison and Harwood as firefighters from across the Inland Northwest stood on their engines and trucks, saluting the men as first responders drove the 40 miles down Interstate 90.

“The outpouring of support and help and offers, it’s been, quite honestly, overwhelming,” Holley said. “That’s a support for all of us as we’re healing and all trying to cope with this. … But it’s mostly about Frank, his family, the sacrifice he gave and the sacrifice his family gave and will continue to give. It’s been impressive and overwhelming. It has a lot of gravity.”

Reporter Alexandra Duggan contributed to this article.