Colorado shooting: Suspect identified as Matthew Riehl
A gunman in suburban Denver opened fire on sheriff's deputies responding to a report of a domestic dispute early Sunday morning, killing one officer and wounding four others while striking two civilians in a barrage of gunfire. The suspect, who was shot and killed, has been identified as 37-year-old Matthew Riehl, CBS Denver reports.
The deputies were called to a residence around 5:20 a.m. Sunday morning where they were immediately met with gunfire from the suspect, Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said in a news conference Sunday.
The two civilians also suffered non-life threatening injuries, Spurlock said. The unidentified suspect, who was killed in the exchange, was known to police but he did not have a criminal history. Spurlock said the suspect wielded a rifle and fired more than 100 rounds in the encounter.
Zackari Parrish, 29, was identified as the deputy killed in the shooting. Parrish joined the force seven months ago. He is survived by his wife and two children. Spurlock said he sat with Parrish's wife and "could see in her eyes that her life was over."
The wounded officers were identified as Mike Doyle, 28; Taylor Davis, 30; Jeffrey Pelle, 32; and Tom O'Donnell, 31.
The FBI office in Denver said it was ready to provide its "full support" to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office.
.@FBIDenver has been monitoring the events that occurred this morning and have offered our full support to @dcsheriff. Our thoughts and prayers are with our law enforcement partners and all those impacted by today’s senseless act of violence.
— FBI Denver (@FBIDenver) December 31, 2017
Footage from the scene showed a heavy police presence, with numerous ambulances and police cars with their lights flashing.
The University of Wyoming confirmed Sunday that Riehl had received a law degree from the school in 2010. UW also said it had been investigating social media posts mentioning the UW College of Law by Riehl.
President Trump offered his condolences to the shooting victims on Sunday. "We love our police and law enforcement -- God Bless them all!" Mr. Trump tweeted.
My deepest condolences to the victims of the terrible shooting in Douglas County @DCSheriff, and their families. We love our police and law enforcement - God Bless them all! #LESM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2017
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) also offered his condolences, saying his "heart breaks for all of those affected" by the tragedy."
Gardner added: "Our law enforcement officers work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe and today all of Colorado stands with our law enforcement community."