A man armed with an AR-style rifle, a handgun, body armor, and real and fake explosives was found dead at a Colorado amusement park on Saturday.
The 20-year-old man, whose name has not yet been released, was found dead in a bathroom at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park by maintenance staff.
Written on the bathroom wall of the Rocky Mountain park were the messages “I am not a killer” and “I just wanted to get into the caves.” There were other things written as well, but the sheriff could not make out what it said.
Police have said that his death appeared to be a suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“There’s much more we do not know right now than we do know,” Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario said during a press conference.
“We had the potential for something very heinous and gruesome to happen in this community,” he continued. “We were fortunate that it did not occur.”
The sheriff’s office said that the man was wearing black tactical clothing that was “bearing patches and emblems that gave the appearance of being associated with law enforcement.”
Despite the patches, Sheriff Vallario said that he does not appear to be associated with law enforcement.
Colorado passed a law earlier this year raising the minimum age to buy a gun to 21. The weapons found on the man appeared to be so-called “ghost guns,” which are made from kits and do not have serial numbers.
NBC News reports, “Near where the body was discovered, investigators found fake hand grenades and a pipe bomb, Vallario said, and there was a fake improvised explosive device in his car, as well as another package that was explosive.”
The handgun was located next to the man’s body, and the rifle was found on a sink counter.
The Glenwood Springs adventure park has thrill rides and caves for people to explore. The park’s website says that the caves extend more than 16,000 known feet.
“This very sad and tragic incident reminds us how much our Glenwood Springs community means to us,” Nancy Heard, the park’s general manager, said in a statement obtained by NBC.
