Heavily armed man found dead at Colorado amusement park

A heavily armed man apparently changed his mind about carrying out a mass shooting at a Colorado amusement park over the weekend, instead taking his own life, according to authorities.

Diego Barajas Medina, 20, was found dead in the women’s restroom at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on Saturday morning before the park opened for the day, according to The Associated Press. AP quoted Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire, who said Medina died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was found near the words “I am not a killer, I just wanted to get into the caves,” written on the wall.

Officials could not confirm that Medina wrote the words. What they did confirm was that Medina was heavily armed.

In a news release, the sheriff’s office said, “He was dressed in black colored tactical clothing, bearing patches and emblems that gave the appearance of being associated with law enforcement. The suspect had been heavily armed with a semi-automatic rifle and semi-automatic handgun and multiple, loaded magazines for both weapons. He was wearing body armor and what appeared to be a ballistic helmet. Additionally, multiple improvised explosive devices (IED) were discovered with the suspect and in the vehicle associated with the suspect.”

The release said the body was found before the park opened and was not located near any of the rides or exhibits.

Officials told media the weapons found were ghost guns, untraceable because they lack serial numbers.

In its coverage of the incident, The Washington Post noted that “the use of ghost guns in violent crimes is soaring,” referring to an earlier article from July.

Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario said that preliminary interviews have not revealed any previous warnings that Medina planned an attack, though the investigation is ongoing and in-depth interviews are still pending.

“Given the preparation, given the amount of weapons and ordnance he had, it almost seemed very highly likely he intended to use those against the community,” Vallario said in the statement. “He chose not to.”

The notice said that the Grand Junction Bomb Squad successfully disarmed the devices.

The sheriff’s office said that “while this investigation is 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.”

Medina reportedly lived with his mother and brother in the nearby town of Carbondale, Colorado.

“The park, which is surrounded by state-owned public land, is on a mountain above the Colorado River in western Colorado. Its attractions include cave tours, an alpine coaster and a pendulum swing ride perched on the edge of a cliff that sends riders over the river canyon,” AP reported.