Authorities have released the name of the man who fatally shot himself after a shootout with a Taylorsville officer on Thursday — but they’re still trying to determine why it happened.
The man was identified as Aaron Troy Rehn, 29. Investigators believe he was homeless. He was not on probation or parole, police said, and there were no warrants out for his arrest.
Police initially received a report of a suspicious vehicle Thursday at a Speedway gas station at 2187 W. 4700 South at about 4:30 a.m. When a Taylorsville police officer approached Rehn, he ran away, and the officer ran after him.
As he ran, Rehn fired a gun several times at the officer, who returned fire before taking cover, police said.
Neither the officer nor Rehn was hit, but a resident at a nearby assisted living center located at 2011 W. 4700 South was injured by broken glass or shrapnel from a bullet that struck the building during the shootout, police said. The resident was treated for a minor wound.
Rehn briefly disappeared after the shootout, prompting a search for him in the area. At about 7 a.m., a 12-year-old boy spotted the man in a window well of his house as he was getting ready for school, police said. He alerted his parents, who called 911.
“His quick thinking and calm response are remarkable,” Taylorsville Police Chief Brady Cottam said of the boy in a statement Friday.
Rehn ran off from the boy’s home, but he was found in the neighborhood. As officers moved in on Rehn, he shot and killed himself, police said.
Police continue to investigate, but as of Friday, investigators don’t know why Rehn ran, why he shot at the officer or why he shot himself.
“These cases take time to put all the facts together toward concluding exactly what happened and why,” Cottam said. “Sometimes we never find out the whys.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24/7 access to trained telephone counselors at 1-800-273-8255. The Crisis Text Line is a free, 24/7 national service. Text HOME to 741741.
