At a Colorado theme park, a man carrying weapons and explosives was discovered dead from what seemed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, perhaps preventing “an attack of catastrophic proportions,” according to officials.
Before the park opened to the public on Saturday morning, park personnel discovered the 20-year-old man dead inside, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities stated that the man appeared to have broken into the park during its closure and that he was carrying explosives, a revolver, and an AR-style rifle.
The 20-year-old’s body was discovered in a women’s restroom on Saturday morning, prior to the Colorado Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in Glenwood Springs officially opening, according to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. It seems that he went into the park after it had previously closed.
The man had body armor on as well as tactical gear. Written on the wall of the women’s restroom where the man was discovered, according to Sheriff Lou Vallario, was a note that said, I am not a killer; I just want to get into the caves.
It was impossible for the sheriff to confirm if the deceased man was the author of the note.
According to a statement from the sheriff’s office, he was carrying a semi-automatic rifle, a semi-automatic handgun, and numerous fully loaded magazines for both weapons. He had on ballistic helmet-like headgear and body armor. Furthermore, a number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were found in the suspect’s vehicle and with the suspect.
At a press conference on Monday, Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario stated, “We are, to put it mildly, extremely fortunate that he failed to carry out whatever plan he may have intended.” “It had the potential to have a terrible effect on this town and result in the deaths and injuries of countless numbers of people.
When investigators inspected the man’s car, they allegedly discovered explosive devices; however, no additional bombs were discovered during the search of the park.
The suspect may have carried out a horrific assault on the public and first responders, according to Garfield County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Walt Stowe, despite the fact that this investigation is still ongoing and very active. This is important to understand.
According to the sheriff’s office, the man lived nearby. Upon his death, it was discovered that he had extra-loaded magazines for both of the firearms he carried.
The man was found three days after the most fatal of more than 580 shootings that occurred in the United States this year—a shooting spree in Maine that left 18 people dead—and was identified by the Garfield County Coroner’s Office as Diego Barajas Medina of Carbondale, Colorado.
Colorado’s Dead Man History
According to a statement from the coroner’s office, the scene inquiry and the forensic autopsy point to the decedent’s suicide as the cause of death. The agency is currently looking into whether the death was caused by suicide.
Authorities added that investigators have been speaking with Medina’s mother and brother and going through the house to gather further information about a potential motivation.
There’s no history, no logic, and no motive that we can see. Says Vallario, He was just totally under the surface. To the best of my understanding at this time, nothing suggested that friends, family, the school, or anyone else had issued a warning or expressed any worry.
Ghost firearms made up at least two of Medina’s arsenal, according to Vallario. Ghost guns are kits that may be purchased online and assembled to create a working firearm. They don’t give transfer records for simple traceability, don’t require background checks, and don’t have serial numbers.
Along with a genuine explosive device, investigators discovered an “extremely well-put-together” phony IED in Medina’s car, according to Vallario. The sheriff reported finding patches connected to police enforcement; however, detectives are unsure of how Medina obtained them.
Situated in western Colorado on a mountain close to the Colorado River lies Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. It is well-known for its swing ride that hangs over a canyon and sits perched on a cliff, as well as its cave tours and alpine coaster.
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