Potential Mass Shooting Stopped as Heavily Armed Man Found Dead in Colorado Amusement Park

Body of 20-Year-Old Man Found, Message on Bathroom Wall: “I Am Not a Murderer”

A view of the roller coaster at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park in 2012 / EPA=Yonhap News

A chilling incident that could have resulted in a mass shooting unfolded at an amusement park located atop a mountain in Colorado, United States.

According to the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado, on the 31st (local time), a young man was found dead in the women’s restroom of the ‘Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park’ on the morning of the 28th.

The man was heavily armed with a semi-automatic rifle and a semi-automatic pistol, both loaded, and was wearing black combat gear, body armor, and a bulletproof helmet. Several homemade explosive devices were also found around the man and inside the car he drove.

Sheriff Lou Vallario said, “Considering the amount of weapons, ammunition, and explosives found, it’s important to recognize that the suspect could have launched a massive attack on our community and first responders.”

According to U.S. media outlets such as AP, CNN, and NBC, the restroom wall where the man was found had a message written on it: “I’m not a murderer. I just wanted to go into the cave.”

Authorities have not confirmed whether the man wrote the message.

The Garfield County Coroner’s Office identified the man as 20-year-old Diego Berrajas Medina, a resident of Carbondale, Colorado.

Based on the crime scene investigation and autopsy results, the coroner’s office concluded that Medina died from a gunshot wound to the head in an apparent suicide.

The Glenwood Caverns, where the amusement park is located, is situated atop a mountain in Glenwood Springs, about 160 miles west of Denver, Colorado’s state capital. Visitors must ride a gondola for about 5 minutes to reach the caves.

However, there is also a small road used for maintenance, and it is believed that Medina drove into the park after it had closed for the day using this road.

Considering the difficulty of accessing the amusement park on the mountaintop, authorities explained that the scale of damage could have been much greater if a shooting incident had occurred.

Sheriff Vallario said, “It’s a huge relief that he did not carry out his intended plan. If we had faced the worst-case scenario, not to mention getting the victims down from the mountain, there would have been tremendous difficulty in the initial response and calling for help.”

The guns and weapons Medina had were ‘ghost guns,’ untraceable due to the absence of serial numbers. Ghost guns are firearms that users manufacture themselves using gun assembly kits purchased online, etc.

Investigations have concluded that Medina, who was 20, could not have legally bought the guns as Colorado raised the gun purchase age to 21 earlier this year.

The motive for the crime has not yet been identified.

Authorities said that no traces of explosives or bomb-making were found in Medina’s home, and he had no criminal record or prior convictions.

Sheriff Vallario said, “There are no apparent reasons or motives. At this point, there is nothing to suggest that there were any warnings or concerns from family, friends, or school.”

Medina lived with his mother and siblings, and investigators are continuing to question them to determine the motive for the crime.

The FBI also assists in examining Medina’s cell phone and social media accounts.

Rides at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park / AP=Yonhap News