A 20-year-old man armed with firearms and pipe bombs was found dead in the women’s bathroom of a Colorado amusement park from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound over the weekend beside the message “I am not a killer” scrawled on the wall, the Associated Press reported.
A maintenance worker from Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park discovered the body of Diego Barajas Medina last Saturday before the park opened. According to the Garfield County coroner, Medina died from a self-inflicted shot to the head.
Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario told reporters on Monday that Garfield accessed the park while it was closed carrying a semi-automatic handgun, a semi-automatic rifle, and explosive devices.
When Medina was found, he was wearing tactical clothing and body armor. The handgun and explosive devices, some real and some fake, were found near his body and the rifle was lying nearby on a counter beside a utility belt containing several magazines, Sheriff Vallario said.
After preliminary interviews with family and friends, investigators have so far found no indication that Medina had been planning an attack, however, Sheriff Vallario said the investigation is ongoing and more in-depth interviews were planned.
The FBI and other agencies are helping the investigation, reviewing Medina’s phone records and social media accounts.
According to the sheriff, from his preparations and the arsenal he was carrying, it is “highly likely” that Medina had planned an attack and subsequently changed his mind.
In addition to the pipe bombs found near the body, police also found explosive devices in the vehicle Medina was driving. A search of the park was also conducted to find additional explosives, however, none were found.
A search of Medina’s room in the home he shared with his mother in Carbondale found nothing indicating bomb-making or explosives.
According to the sheriff, Medina did not have a criminal record or any previous encounters with law enforcement.
