The Colorado gunman who killed a sheriff’s deputy and wounded four others live-streamed his deeds online, the latest in a disturbing trend of shooters sharing their rampage violence.
Matthew Riehl was killed in a shootout with police. (DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE/AP)
Matthew Riehl opened fire on officers after he called 911 early Sunday south of Denver, and killed deputy Zackari Parrish before being shot and killed in a shootout with SWAT.
The video on Periscope obtained by KDVR and KUSA saw Riehl tell officers “leave me alone” amid the sound of 100 gunshots and a smoke alarm triggered by the violence.
Clips before the attack itself showed the shooter call 911, talk about drinking scotch and having firearms, and claim he wanted a restraining order against his “domestic partner.”
Killers uploading video of their crimes has become a macabre trend as streaming has become more accessible, with a string of similar shares including Cleveland killer Steven Stephens last year.
Two civilians were also wounded in the 37-year-old gunman’s shooting, which authorities described as an ambush against law enforcement.Fellow officers, family and friends mourned Parrish, a 29-year-old father of two young children, on Monday evening at a tearful vigil.
“I will raise my girls to love you,” his wife Gracie Parrish told the crowd at Mission Hills Church in Littleton, Colo., adding that she appreciated the stories told by his colleagues because “I want to hear about him, and I want to soak it in.”
Her 4-year-old daughter at one point whispered in her ear and told her “it’s OK momma.”
A GoFundMe page for the family had raised more than $220,000 as of Tuesday morning.
The exact motive of Riehl, a former member of the U.S. Army Reserves who served in Iraq, is not yet known.
His videos before the shooting focused on his partner, who he said he was kicking out, and included threats to kill him.
Riehl also shared complaints about law enforcement and Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock after being pulled over for a traffic violation in November, according to local reports.
He also reportedly threatened violence towards a professor at his law school alma mater, University of Wyoming, prompting the school to send an alert to students this November asking them to tell police if they saw him.
By Christopher Brennan
Source: NY Daily News
