ARLINGTON — 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 during the investigation into Sunday’s shooting, said Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton. They were part of the SWAT team that responded to the report of a sniper who wounded one man and shot 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.
Reports followed 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.
The number of shots led police to believe a second sniper might have been involved. It took hours to secure the area.
Police said they have recovered Endrizzi’s weapon, a Ruger .22 caliber rifle. Endrizzi was killed Sunday, but his body was not removed until Monday, authorities said.
Court papers show Endrizzi filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003. Records show he was on permanent disability and his wife at the time was a homemaker. The documents didn’t describe the nature of the disability.
He was receiving a $2,429-a-month veteran’s disability check as well as $999 from Social Security. Creditors included collection agencies, medical clinics and mental health providers.
