MILWAUKIE, Ore. (KATU) — The United States Postal Inspection Service has released details on the suspect who allegedly shot and attempted to kill a USPS mail carrier in Oregon on Christmas Eve.
Officials say Kevin Eugene Irvine, 31, is now facing federal charges for the assault and attempted murder of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier. Irvine had previously faced the Clackamas County Court for state charges, but the United States Postal Inspection Service launched its own investigation and is handing him additional charges for attempting to kill a federal employee.
According to the documents, on Dec. 24, 2022, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier was shot while delivering mail in Milwaukie, Oregon. The carrier was hit in the leg and survived, and police officers, deputies and personnel from the USPIS formed an investigation.
The carrier told Milwaukie Police that shortly before the shooting, the shooter drove past in a white van while the carrier was delivering mail. The carrier made eye contact with the driver, who threw his hands in the air inside the van.
The carrier thought the driver was waving, so the carrier waved back.
Shortly afterward the carrier saw the same van again. This time, the driver got out of the van, knelt, and fired shots at the carrier with what was probably a small caliber rifle, the documents say. The shots struck the carrier in the left leg. The shooter, described as a 5’8” white male with curly hair and glasses, then left the scene.