Wess's childhood seemed to be rough, tumultous and even traumatic. Court documents claim that his biological father, Jason Roley, was physically abusive. He even threatened the family, as Heather Lynn Cucharia, Roley's mother, had to file a protective order against him for threatening to "sit outside [her] house with a sniper rifle or burn [her] house down,". She also expressed concern about him owning drugs and firearms. Jason contested these claims, asserting he was not a danger to his son or others, and the order was later amended to allow visitation with Wess. They divorced back in 2015, when Wess was 10 years old. Heather was designated as Wess's primary caregiver. Heather went on to marry a man named Tony. Jason had told the media that he hadn't seen Wess for more than a year before the crime.
Alongside the gunman's parents, Roley's grandfather provided some more information to the media. He described Wess as "kind of a loner" and "high-strung". Suprisingly, the suspect's family also said that he aspired to become a firefighter himself. They claim that Roley "really respected law enforcment" and that "it was strange for him to shoot at firefighters", since "he loved firefighters." They speculate that he must have been rejected and that it was "a breaking point for him." His family also said that Wess acted strange during the few months before the shooting.
