Sheriff: Colorado gunman monitored deputies before shooting

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. – A sheriff says the gunman who killed a suburban Denver deputy and wounded four other officers used video surveillance equipment in and outside his apartment to monitor authorities responding to a complaint before he opened fire.

Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said Matthew Riehl fired a shotgun, an M16 rifle, a pistol and an M4 rifle.

Spurlock says Riehl legally owned 15 weapons purchased between 2011 and 2016, and 11 of the guns were functional at the time of the New Year’s Eve shooting.

Police and Veterans Affairs records indicate Riehl had mental health issues but would not have been barred from owning guns.

Spurlock says deputies thought Riehl was a danger to himself and were preparing to take him into custody on a mental health hold when the attack occurred.