An Armed Man Was Found Dead at a Mountaintop Theme Park in Colorado
This article originally appeared on Outside
A Colorado mountain town is reeling after a local amusement park became the target of an apparent armed attack.
On Saturday, October 28, authorities in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, discovered the body of a man at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, a local theme park located on a mountaintop above town. According to cops, the man was armed with semi-automatic rifles and handguns, plus multiple loaded magazines--he was carrying improvised explosive devices. The man was also clad in body armor that appeared to resemble law-enforcement garb and a ballistic helmet.
"He was dressed in black colored tactical clothing, bearing patches and emblems that gave the appearance of being associated with law enforcement," the Garfield County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Monday.
Sherrifs identified the body as Diego Barajas Medina, 20, a resident of the town of Carbondale, which is located 15 miles south. The Garfield County Coroner reported Medina was found with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Park officials discovered Medina's body in a women's bathroom before the park opened for the day.
The Aspen Times reported that Medina's body was found next to writing on the wall, which read, "I am not a killer, I just wanted to get into the caves." Along with rides, Glenwood Caverns also hosts features cave tours. The park is home to the state's largest show cave--a cavern that is open to public visits.
Authorities have not said whether or not they believe Medina intended to harm park visitors with his weapons. But the grisly discovery comes just days after a 40-year-old man killed 18 people at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine. And, just last week, police in Idaho thwarted a man's plan to shoot multiple rock climbers at a climbing festival.
The Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park is the only amusement park in the U.S. that is only reached by gondola. Due to the remote nature of the adventure park, Grand County Sheriff Vallario said that it would have been extremely difficult to respond to an emergency if Medina had created a worse-case scenario.
"He could have done a tremendous amount of damage. You have to take a gondola ride up there. And you’re on the top of a mountain, there’s a lot of people, it’s hilly, its terrain,” Vallario said. “If he had gone through with the worst case scenario, it could have been devastating.”
Sheriff Vallario stated during a press conference that the guns Medina carried were unlicensed ghost guns--they were assembled from a kit and not purchased from a licensed outfitter. Among his arsenal was an AR-style rifle.
"While this investigation is still ongoing and very active it is important to realize that given the amount of weaponry, ammunition, and explosive devices found, the suspect could have implemented an attack of devastating proportions upon our community and first responders," a news release from the Sheriff's Office stated.
Park officials believe Medina snuck into the park after hours; they think he arrived via a service road.
Authorities said the Federal Bureau of Investigation will examine Medina's social media and phone records to determine a motive behind his actions. Glenwood Caverns Adventure park will remain closed as the sheriff's investigation continues.
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