It's still not clear whether 46-year-old Craig Boehler died of a gunshot wound, the fire, or what, but the medical examiner's office is slated to perform an autopsy tomorrow.
The saga began last night at 12:40 am when Boehler's stepfather called 911 to report that Boehler was attacking his sister and that he had accidentally shot Boehler in the course of an argument. Also, the stepdad told police that Boehler was under post-prison supervision and had been drinking.
- KGW
- Old mugshot of Craig Boehler
The SERT team responded to the house, swept inside and pulled out the stepdaughter and mother while Boehler apparently barricaded himself inside and fired 20-25 rounds at police. Two houses nearby were damaged by gunfire.
Officers also fired several rounds of CS teargas into the house. Amid the gunfire, the house somehow caught on fire and within minutes was fully engulfed in flames. Police evacuated several homes, loading neighbors onto TriMet buses to keep them warm. When the flames died down, fire investigators and police detectives found Boehler's dead body inside. They also found a gun and an inert hand grenade.
Police and a Portland Fire representative would not discuss details of the ongoing investigation into what started the fire at the house.