Rainier gunman's body might have been found

[Judi Lynn]

Rainier gunman's body might have been found
By MIKE BAKER
January 2nd, 2012 @ 12:14pm

Associated Press

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. (AP) - Authorities say the body of an Iraq war veteran suspected in the slaying of a Mount Rainier National Park ranger was believed to have been found dead in the park Monday.

He apparently died after trudging into chest-deep snow while trying to elude snow-shoe wearing SWAT team members and other police who were on his trail.

Twenty-four-year-old Benjamin Colton Barnes reportedly fled to the remote park following an earlier shooting that wounded four near Seattle. Washington State Patrol spokesman Guy Gill says a body believed to be Barnes was found face down in the snow. The identity of the body has not been confirmed.

Almost all park visitors had been evacuated from the area following the Sunday slaying of Margaret Anderson. The park remained closed for a second day Monday.

More:
http://www.620ktar.com/509/1482627/Rainier-gunmans-body-might-have-been-found

[Judi Lynn]

1. BBC News: Benjamin Colton Barnes 'found dead' in Mount Rainer park

2 January 2012 Last updated at 14:25 ET
Benjamin Colton Barnes 'found dead' in Mount Rainer park

~snip~
A body believed to be his was found face down in the snow, but its identity has not been confirmed.

He apparently died from walking through chest-deep snow while trying to elude police, according to Washington State Patrol spokesman Guy Gill.

He is reported to have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Police said they had recovered his vehicle, which had weapons, body armour and survivalist gear inside.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16387103

[tawadi]

2. Sounds like a painful death

His suffering is over now.

[totodeinhere]

9. I am more concerned for the suffering of Margaret Anderson's family and friends.

n/t

[tawadi]

12. See post #4

n/t

[GAspnes]

3. Read about officer Anderson here

http://www.odmp.org/officer/21076-park-ranger-margaret-anderson

One of my sons is a State Trooper. Our family's heart goes out to the Andersons.

[tawadi]

4. Very tragic

My thoughts go out to her family, especially her two young children.

[FirstLight]

5. there's some key words to watch for...

"iraq war veteran"

Unfortunately we may be seeing WAY more of these types of crazy events, as these poor young men come back to a world that makes no sense anymore. They were trained to be inhuman killing machines, and the damage to their psyche will affect an entire generation of lost children, abused wives, and terrorized neighbors...

so sad. THIS is the true cost of war, the aftermath

[sulphurdunn]

8. They were not trained

to be "inhuman killing machines". They were trained to be soldiers. Failure at being a soldier is what creates an inhuman killing machine. Soldiers are sworn by oath only to kill other soldiers in combat. No one else. If they fail to do that or the trauma of their deeds is too much to bear and they cannot find absolution, they have the right to kill themselves if they choose but no one else.

[PavePusher]

11. Thank you.

So many here seem to have such a twisted view of the military.

[obamanut2012]

15. Agreed

[ProgressiveProfessor]

6. Earlier thread citing a source that was more definitive

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002104779

[aikoaiko]

7. Sad. Tragic. Our inaction to treat the mentally ill is horrific.

[DesertRat]

10. Why did he have to murder a mother of two young children first?

[2Design]

13. We train them to kill without feelings in other countries - they just bring it back with them

I hate that we train so many to kill and murder people

[sulphurdunn]

14. Combat soldiers

are not trained to "kill without feelings". They are merely trained to kill in combat. They are not trained to murder non-combatants. Whatever they feel or don't feel about killing is an individual matter. The fact that they bring their experiences back with them doesn't explain or excuse their committing murder.

[obamanut2012]

16. Soldiers are NOT trained to do this

Why do so many think that? PTSD doesn't turn you into a sociopath, it turns you into someone lost. Soldiers and Marines who come back and kill were already sociopaths when they went in, like Timothy McVeigh.

Combat doesn't make you into a monster, although it can certainly ruin your emotional life for ever.