Colorado authorities were warned about gunman’s mental state

Flag of Colorado (Photo User:Fleminra. – Own work, Public Domain)

DENVER — Authorities had been contacted with concerns about the mental health of Matthew Riehl over a month before he shot and killed a Colorado deputy and wounded four others. But Riehl was never held for mental evaluation.

After Riehl published several social media posts critical of University of Wyoming professors, the campus police chief says officers called police in Lone Tree, Colorado, in November to warn them about Riehl, suggesting his rants were indicative of mental illness.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says authorities received a call Sunday from someone who said Riehl might be having a mental breakdown, but deputies found no evidence of a crime and left.

Later, deputies responded to another call about Riel. Authorities say Riehl fired more than 100 rounds before he was killed.