Armed man kills 2 neighbors, then dies in gunfight with cops, FL sheriff says

An armed man dressed in black seen sprinting around a Florida subdivision is believed to have killed two of his neighbors in the minutes before deputies confronted him, investigator say.

The motive remains a mystery, the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office said in a July 30 news release.

Paul Scott Wier, 51, was fatally shot by deputies around 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 27, in a residential neighborhood near Okeechobee, the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies responded to multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire and a man dressed in black running with a rifle through a residential area. Additional reports indicated that two individuals had been shot,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies quickly arrived on scene, located the suspect, and issued repeated verbal commands to drop the weapon. The suspect ... refused to comply and opened fire on deputies. Deputies returned fire, striking and incapacitating him.”

Wier was airlifted to a hospital where he died, officials said.

The bodies of a man and a woman were located by deputies and identified as neighbors of the suspect, officials said during a news conference streamed by WPEC. The killings were “directly related” to Wier, officials said.

Investigators have not released the names of the man and woman as of July 31.

“At this time, no clear motive has been identified. Wier had no recent involvement with local law enforcement,” officials said.

“Neighbors reported no prior disturbances, known conflicts, or unusual behavior from Wier prior to the incident.”

Wier had been charged in 2004 with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in Palm Beach County and was acquitted “by reason of insanity,” the sheriff’s office said.

Five law enforcement officers were involved in the shooting and have been put on administrative leave, “which is standard protocol during officer-involved shooting investigations,” the sheriff’s office said.

“This was a shocking and senseless act that has left families grieving and our community shaken,” Okeechobee County Sheriff Noel E. Stephen said in the news release.

“Our deputies responded with professionalism and courage under fire. We remain focused on supporting the victims’ families and bringing clarity to this investigation.”

Okeechobee is about a 150-mile drive northwest from Miami.

This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 7:26 AM with the headline "Armed man kills 2 neighbors, then dies in gunfight with cops, FL sheriff says."