ARLINGTON, Wash. (AP) - A sniper killed in a shootout with police about 50 miles north of Seattle was described Wednesday as a disabled military veteran who was recently divorced and had mental health problems.
Robert Edward Endrizzi, 60, died from multiple gunshot wounds, the Snohomish County medical examiner's office said.
Two deputies are on leave for the investigation into Sunday's shooting, said Snohomish County sheriff's spokeswoman Shari Ireton. They were part of the SWAT team that responded to a sniper wounding one man and shooting several vehicles.
Investigators aren't ready to comment on what may have led to the shooting, Ireton said Wednesday.
Endrizzi's mother told KOMO News that her son had worked in the medical field but retired after a motorcycle accident. She said he had mental health problems.
"He was bipolar and taking medications and that led to conflicts sometimes," Kathleen Endrizzi said.
The recently divorced veteran moved to the Arlington area in January, The Daily Herald reported.
He liked to practice shooting firearms on his property, but that's not unusual in the area, neighbors said.
"They shoot around here a lot," said neighbor Linda Purtteman who wasn't alarmed when she first heard Sunday's gunfire.
It apparently began when a man in his 20s was shot in his calf in his driveway. The man heard gunfire, sent his family inside the house for safety and was struck by a bullet minutes later, Ireton said. The man, whose name was not disclosed, was treated at an Arlington hospital and released.
That was followed by reports of bullets hitting cars.
One couple was driving through the neighborhood when their car was struck by several bullets, including one that shattered a window, Ireton said. The couple drove to a nearby military installation where they reported the shooting to guards at the gate.
More than 100 officers including a SWAT team responded and Endrizzi was killed in a shootout that Ireton described as an intense few minutes in which a lot of shots were fired on both sides.