Armed man goes on bulldozer rampage
GRANBY, Colorado (AP) – A man barricaded inside a fortified bulldozer went on a rampage Friday, firing shots and knocking down buildings as he plowed through the streets, witnesses said.
It was not immediately known whether anyone had been injured.
“He’s got gun turrets,” witness Scott Schaffer told KUSA-TV. Another resident, Judy Craig, told the station she heard heavy damage was done to the town library and city hall.
Wonder what set him off. Doesn’t sound like he’s stopped yet. Any Colorado Dopers want to keep us apprised?
D’oh! Sorry; I didn’t see an MPSIMS thread.
A more detailed report here .
There are unconfirmed reports that the man was killed at some point.
It can’t be confirmed because the cab enclosure is welded shut from the inside. :eek:
The guy’s name is (was?) Marvin Hemeyer, and he apparently felt persecution from the town led to the failure of his muffler repair shop.
Some residents told 7NEWS that it doesn’t surprise them that Hemeyer may have been behind the rampage.
“He’s different,” [Granby resident Alicia Draper] said.
My business failed in a free market! Take that, library!
Well, he’s dead.
No one else is, thank Og. But he did a lot of damage.
At the height of the rampage, the bulldozer demolished or heavily damaged a concrete batch plant, the town hall, a bank, a library and the local newspaper offices. The property of the former mayor, who held office at the time of the zoning dispute, was also damaged.
“Every indication is that these were all targeted hits,” said Granby Town Manager Tom Hale. “They were all properties that people who worked there were involved in the zoning decision.”
A historic moment… somebody goes on a crazy rampage and a person who knows them doesn’t say he was a nice, normal, quiet guy. Maybe Ms. Draper is smarter than your average neighbor.
Now I’m trying to picture how and where he constructed this thing. I mean, if you’re going to armor-plate a bulldozer, do you do it in your backyard? I’m guessing that his nearest neighbors might not have been near enough to hear the noise, but imagine if someone dropped by unexpectedly. “What’cha buildin’ there, Marv?”
Update:
GRANBY, Colorado (AP) – A man who spent months armoring a bulldozer before he went on a rampage through a small mountain town and then killed himself was surprised no one discovered his plans beforehand, according to notes found by investigators.
Sheriff’s deputies released the undated notes Tuesday after finding them in a shed where Marvin Heemeyer installed bulletproof armor on the 53-ton bulldozer. Thirteen buildings were damaged or destroyed in the rampage.
“It’s interesting how I never got caught,” Heemeyer wrote. “This was a part-time project over a 1 1/2 year time period.”
Note to self: If neighbor is spending months at a time on some mysterious “project” in his shed, ask what he’s up to.
Ale
June 11, 2004, 2:45am
10
From a safe distance, I´d like to add…
