Who was Diego Barajas Medina? Man laden with weapons and IEDs killed himself at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO: A heavily armed man equipped with explosives, guns, and ammunition killed himself rather than carry out an apparent planned attack on a mountaintop amusement park, Colorado authorities said on Monday.
The Garfield County Sheriff's Office reported that a man's body was found in a women's bathroom by a maintenance crew member of the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park on Saturday morning, October 28, 2023.
The amusement park employees notified officials before the park opened to the public.
Authorities on Monday evening identified the man as 22-year-old Diego Barajas Medina, who lived in Carbondale with his brother and mother.
Barajas Medina was discovered lifeless and dressed in black tactical gear and body armor similar to what a police SWAT team member might wear, and a ballistic helmet, according to a statement from the Garfield County Sheriff's Office.
He drove a vehicle to the park, entered it while it was closed, armed to the teeth with a semi-automatic rifle and semi-automatic handgun, several loaded magazines, and multiple IEDs, authorities revealed.
A message was written on a wall of the ladies' room where the man was found lying on the floor, saying: “I am not a killer, I just want to get into the caves.”
Where is Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park?
The amusement park is located in Glenwood Springs, a resort city in the Rocky Mountains in western Colorado surrounded by the White River National Forest, which is state-owned public land and is situated on a mountain above the Colorado River.
According to the park’s website, it is the nation's only mountain-top theme park located between Aspen and Vail along Interstate 70.
The park is 160 miles east of Denver, and its main attractions include cave tours, roller coasters, zip lines, gondola rides, mountain-top dining, and a giant swing ride perched on the edge of a cliff that sends riders over the river canyon.
Medina trespassed onto the property when no employees or guests were on the park premises, according to a park spokesperson and investigators believe the man drove up to the park on a service road.
A bomb squad responded to the park and "were able to render the devices safe," the Monday’s release from the Sheriff’s Office stated.
On Monday, October 30, the park remained closed, as investigators made sure none of the rides, equipment, or any of the park's on-site buildings or facilities "were tampered with" by the deceased gunman.
What did authorities say about Diego Barajas Medina?
Looking at the volume of weaponry, ammunition, and explosive devices found, Medina could have "implemented attack of devastating proportions upon our community, and first responders," according to the police.
The police had noted that multiple improvised explosive devices were found in Medina's vehicle as well.
The Garfield County Sheriff's Office did not divulge how Medina died but, according to Monday’s press release, said his death did not involve any of the rides and he was not authorized to be inside the park.
Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario said during Monday afternoon’s press conference that both Medina’s weapons are believed to be "ghost guns" that do not have serial numbers and therefore cannot be tracked.
Vallario also noted that some of the explosive devices turned out to be fake, including several that looked like hand grenades, but others were real.
There were no prior indications, either at home or school, suggesting the man was planning an attack, although investigators haven’t conducted any in-depth interviews to corroborate that yet, Vallaro noted.
The FBI will scour through Barajas Medina's phone records and social media posts as part of the investigation, he added.
However, he could not say for certain if the message on the wall of the ladies’ room was left by Diego himself.
Bomb squad members supported by the Garfield County All Hazard response team responded to the park and were able to render the explosive devices safe. They swept the park thoroughly to make sure no other IEDs were planted.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement on Facebook:
"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 safety of the public, bomb, disposal personnel, law enforcement, and other first responders were the priority, as well as making sure the cabins were safe to re-open."
“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. He chose not to.”
Cause of Diego Barajas Medina's cause of death pending autopsy
Diego Barajas Medina's official cause of death will be determined by the Garfield County coroner, according to the release. No employees or visitors were on the scene when the man entered the park, according to a statement issued on Monday by Glenwood Caverns.
The statement also noted that Barajas Medina was found outside restricted areas where rides are located. Law enforcement officials, so far in the investigation have indicated Medina's actions were "limited to the property of the Glenwood Caverns."
Nancy Heard, General Manager of Glenwood Caverns told USA TODAY, “This very sad and tragic incident reminds us how much our Glenwood Springs community means to us,”
“We appreciate the swift action and thorough work of the Garfield County Sheriff’s Department and Coroner’s Office, as well as the Garfield County All Hazard Response Team and other authorities assisting in the investigation, working together to ensure the park is safe to reopen.”