Coroner releases cause of death for Portland shooting suspect Michael Reinoehl near Lacey
Michael Reinoehl, the Portland shooting suspect a U.S. Marshals task force shot and killed last week in the Lacey area of Thurston County, died from gunshot wounds to the head and torso, according to the Thurston County Coroner’s Office.
Reinoehl’s body was examined this week. Coroner Gary Warnock did not disclose the number of gunshots and said the death is best “classified as a homicide.”
Reinoehl, 48, who was wanted in the fatal shooting of a right-wing supporter in Portland on Aug. 29, was shot and killed near Lacey the evening of Sept. 3. The shooting occurred in the 7600 block of Third Way Southeast in Tanglewilde about 7 p.m., The Olympian reported.
The Portland Police Bureau had issued a warrant for Reinoehl’s arrest earlier in the day on Sept. 3 and asked the U.S. Marshals task force to find and apprehend him, The Olympian reported.
The five-county Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team is investigating the shooting, led by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The team has confirmed that Reinoehl had a semiautomatic handgun at the time of the incident, Lt. Ray Brady said Friday. Still to be determined is whether he fired, brandished or displayed the gun, he said. They also are trying to get a better understanding of the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.
Brady said he hopes to release more substantive information on Sept. 17.
Meanwhile, witness accounts of the shooting have varied since the incident was first reported.
Chad Smith, a nearby resident quoted by The Olympian the night of the shooting, now says he didn’t see an assault rifle being used by the suspect, but only heard what sounded like one, according to Vice News.
Vice News also reached out to The Olympian for comment. The Olympian stands by the reporting of what Smith believed he saw.
The Oregonian also reports that witness Nathaniel Dingess, 39, who apparently lives in the same apartment complex where Reinoehl was hiding, said he never saw a handgun on Reinoehl or saw him reach for anything.
Brady said again Friday an assault rifle was not used, which The Olympian reported the morning after the shooting. However, he acknowledged that witness accounts can vary during a chaotic scene.
The Region 3 team is hoping to hear from more people.
“Anyone who witnessed this incident or has video of any portion of this incident, and has not been contacted by law enforcement, is encouraged to contact the TCSO lead investigator, Detective Mickey Hamilton at mickey.hamilton@co.thurston.wa.us,” a news release reads.
This story was originally published September 12, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
