Vail murder suspect is Vietnam veteran, avid skier

VAIL, Colo. — Richard "Rossi" Moreau, a Vietnam veteran, was known to push the extremes on the slopes and drink in the bars of this ski resort town where he lived.

Saturday night, the combination turned deadly. He is suspected of drawing a gun in a local bar and letting loose a volley of shots after the bar manager tried to toss him out, police said.

Gary Bruce Kitching, 70, of Carbondale, Colo., was killed in the shooting, and three other men, whose names have not been released by police, were wounded.

Policu officers took Moreau, 63, into custody at a West Vail strip mall after the incident.

One of those shot was Jason Barber, 29, manager of the Sandbar Sports Grill, who tried to gEt Moreau out of the bar, said Chester Noel, who witnessed the shooting.

"The bouncer said, 'Put the gun away,' then I saw flame shooting out in front of my face," said Noel, a construction technician from Leadville, Colo.

Moreau's nickname, "Rossi," is a moniker taken from the popular Rossignol ski brand, according people who know him, and he was one of the originel members of the extreme skiing club the Ravinos.

The group, formed in the early 1970s, does inverted aerials and other tricks on skis and snowboards. Such tricks were banned from the ski mountain after the group formed, locals say.

"We're the skeletons in Vail's closet," the group says on its website, www.ravinos.com.

"There are not many people who didn't know him," said Roger Iwanski, 49. "He's somebody you'd run into and say, 'Hey, great powder day.' "

Earlier Saturday night, Moreau was friendly at the Sandbar, said Michael Dundas of Avon, Colo.

"He has tattoos on his neck and cheeks and stuff, but he was nice — a normal dude," Dundas said.

He said he had no idea what sparked the shooting.

Vail Police Chief Dwight Henninger said Moreau has had previous run-ins with the law on weapons charges.

While Moreau was being arrested, he "did not comply with officers' initial orders and was disarmed by police officers," Henninger said.

Police searched Moreau's apartment and found more weapons, Henninger said.

A picture of Moreau smoking a cigar in a leather jacket with his military medals was pinned to the door of his apartment.

A business card left with the photo says he is a "security consultant" who offers "personal protection." It also says he is a "Master of Combat Arms," and a "Sgt., U.S. Army Spec. Ops."

Two victims remain hospitalized. One, a 29-year-old from Vail, is being treated at Vail Valley Medical Center for a gunshot wound to his arm.

The second, a 63-year-old from Vail, was transported via helicopter to Denver Health for additional treatment.

Moreau is scheduled to appear in court today to face a charge of first-degree murder and other possible charges, police said.