Oregon Public Broadcasting

Police have identified the man shot by Vancouver police officers as an Oregon National Guardsman, recently returned from duty in Iraq.

22-year-old Army Specialist Nikkolas Lookabill got back from Iraq in May. The trip was his first deployment.

Guard officials say his work with the 41st Infantry Brigade included gate security. It’s not clear if he’d seen combat.

Early last Wednesday, Vancouver officers responded to a report of a man with a gun. They found Lookabill, armed, and engaged in what responders called “threatening activity”. He was shot, and died at the scene.

Chaplain Daniel Thompson, a lieutenant Colonel with the Oregon Guard met Lookabill once. He remembers him as a fine young man with a good reputation in the unit.

Daniel Thompson  “By definition a soldier is a self-reliant individual. A lot of times, they’re a little more hesitant to ask for help.”

He calls Lookabill’s death heartbreaking. Thompson has been involved in efforts to provide better access to counseling for soldiers after their return from deployments.

He was unable to say whether Lookabill had been counseled.

A police investigation is underway.