Brentwood Shooter Set Multiple Fires Before House Exploded

The man who shot and killed Brentwood Police Officer Steve Arkell set multiple fires in the house after he shot Arkell on May 12, and one volley of gunfire may have caused a gas leak that ultimately led to the home explosion.

Attorney General Joseph Foster, in an update on the case May 19, said investigators determined the blaze to be intentionally set sometime after 47-year-old Michael Nolan fired upon Arkell from an elevated level in the house.

Investigators recovered seven firearms from the crime scene, one from the officer and six believed to have belonged legally to Nolan, according to State Police Sgt. Joseph Ebert of the Major Crimes Unit. Of the six, three were handguns and three were long rifles – two of those long rifles being assault weapons.

A large amount of ammunition was also believed to be in the house. 

Ebert said investigators have tried to glean more answers from Walter Nolan, the 86-year-old father of the shooting suspect, but have found he is unable to provide those answers. Without getting into his medical records, Ebert said the elder Nolan was not at 100 percent "mental capacity."

"We believe he's genuinely unable to recall the details," he said.

Ebert also commended Fremont Police Officer Derek Franek for entering the house, where he was also fired upon from above, and at which point he ascertained that Arkell had been killed. Franek escaped out the back under a hail of gunfire, but his actions likely saved the lives of other officers responding to the scene, according to Ebert.

Christopher Porreca, national response team supervisor for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said his team sifted through the evidence by hand in the week since the shooting, fire and explosion.

Porreca said the fires were intentionally set on the first floor and the second floor, and the explosion occurred when gas built up in the basement and structure of the house.

Foster said the cause of death for Michael Nolan may not be known for some time, pending autopsy results.

"This tragic event occurred just one week ago, and I am pleased we have been able to promptly conclude the investigation," Foster said. "We can all now fully turn to the mourning of the death of Officer Stephen Arkell and supporting his family, his friends and his fellow officers in the upcoming days."

Brentwood Police Chief Wayne Robinson gave thanks to the community and the state for support during this time, calling it a time of healing for the town.