Man shot dead was ex-employee

COEUR d’ALENE — A man who was shot and killed by a security guard Saturday at Global Credit Union in Coeur d’Alene was a former employee of the financial cooperative.

Joshua Ryan Martz, 34, of Coeur d’Alene, was shot and killed by a security guard after Martz entered the branch at 320 E. Neider wielding a firearm, police said.

Sources told The Press that Martz was a recently hired branch manager whose employment with Global Credit Union was short, and that he may not have left his employment voluntarily.

“He was a former employee of the bank,” Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar said. “Our investigation has not revealed a motive as no one we have spoken to was aware of his intentions.”

Sources say Martz left his job approximately six weeks ago after an argument with superiors, and that the credit union hired a security guard because Martz was perceived as a possible threat.

Martz, whose banking work history includes employment at Numerica Credit Union and STCU, entered the Global Credit Union with a handgun around 1 p.m. Saturday just moments before it closed. Shortly afterward, witnesses reported hearing shots fired inside the credit union.

As law enforcement arrived on the scene, officers learned the suspect had been wearing dark clothes and a full face shield motorcycle helmet, police said. The armed security guard inside the bank shot at Martz, hitting him three times, police said. Martz collapsed inside the building while attempting to flee. Efforts by officers to revive him were not successful and Martz died at the scene, police said.

Detectives from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department in conjunction with the FBI are investigating.

Contacted Monday, FBI officials would not comment on the investigation, referring questions to Coeur d’Alene police.

The branch was closed Monday.

Martz, a father of young children, was divorced three years ago and was thinking about pursuing a master’s degree, according to his LinkedIn account:

“I consider myself a die hard PATRIOT,” he wrote on his LinkedIn profile. “Without a doubt being patriotic means loving ones’ (sic) country; doing what’s best for it and its people regardless of how they feel individually. I have the utmost respect for individuals who take this stance and don’t waiver from it.”