Man found guilty of shooting, injuring mail carrier in Milwaukie

A 34-year-old Tigard man, Kevin Eugene Irvine, was found guilty of shooting at a mail carrier in Milwaukie in December 2022. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon reported that Irvine was convicted in federal court of attempted murder of a federal employee, aggravated assault on a federal employee with a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

During his bench trial, Irvine attempted to use an insanity defense; however, the judge determined that he did not meet the legal criteria for insanity and ruled him guilty on all counts. The incident took place on December 24, 2022, when Irvine, while driving a white van, made eye contact with a USPS letter carrier, who mistook Irvine’s gesture as a wave of greeting.

Irvine later returned to the neighborhood, stopped his van, and exited with a rifle. He knelt on the street and fired three rounds, injuring the letter carrier as they sought cover. After the shooting, Irvine collected his shell casings and fled the scene.

Law enforcement apprehended Irvine on December 28, 2022, when they spotted his van in Lake Oswego. A subsequent search revealed three rifles, ammunition, spent shell casings, and other shooting-related items in his vehicle.

Irvine now faces significant penalties for his convictions. He could receive up to 20 years in prison for each of the first two charges and a mandatory minimum of 10 years for the third charge, with potential life imprisonment and hefty fines accompanying each count.