Colorado law enforcement is investigating the discovery of the body of a “heavily armed” man found at the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park over the weekend, authorities announced on Monday. The 20-year-old man, found dead in a women’s bathroom from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was in possession of enough firearms, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices to carry out a catastrophic attack on parkgoers.
A press release from the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office reported that the would-be shooter was discovered by Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park employees early on Saturday morning during a routine security and maintenance sweep before the park opened for the day. “Based upon a preliminary investigation it appeared that the suspect illegally entered the park after hours, when no employees or patrons were present,” the statement read.
The suspect, identified on Monday as 20-year-old Carbondale resident Diego Barajas Medina, was found on the floor of a women’s restroom wearing black tactical clothing with law enforcement patches, body armor, and a ballistic helmet—the standard kit for a SWAT officer. He was also in possession of an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a handgun, along with multiple spare magazines for each weapon and several improvised explosive devices.
Additional explosives were found in a vehicle left outside the amusement park, promoting a full sweep by the local bomb squad. Several of the devices were found to be fake or nonfunctional, and the rest were rendered safe by disposal experts.
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“The initial two days of the investigation have been carried out in the slow, methodical manner in order to search the property, as well as the suspect’s residence to ensure the safety of the public and to begin to determine the extent of his criminal activity,” the sheriff’s department said.
— GarCo Sheriff (@GarcoSheriffCO) October 30, 2023
Near where Medina’s body was found, a message had been scrawled on the wall, reading “I’m not a killer, I just wanted to get into the caves.” Garfield County Sheriffs could not say for certain whether Medina had left the cryptic message before taking his own life.
“Given the preparation, given the amount of weapons and ordinance he had it almost seemed very highly likely he intended to use those against the community,” said County Sheriff Lou Vallario. “He chose not to.”
On a typical fall weekend, Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, located in the mountains above the Colorado River between Aspen and Vail, would be crowded with visitors enjoying the changing autumn colors. Given the park’s remote location, law enforcement response and medical evacuations would have been difficult.
The park has been swept for any additional threats and is now open for business again. Law enforcement is launching a full investigation into Medina’s personal life, reviewing his social media postings and phone records.
Preliminary reporting indicates that he had no criminal history or prior run-ins with police, and his home, which he shared with his mother and brother, did not contain evidence of bomb-making or other plans for conducting an attack. Medina’s weapons, both classified as “ghost guns” without a serial number, will likely be difficult to trace.
In a statement from Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, park management thanked law enforcement for their efforts and reassured parkgoers that there is no indication of a continuing threat. “This very sad and tragic incident reminds us how much our Glenwood Springs community means to us,” the statement read.
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