Posted on 03/16/2005 8:13:20 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo
Investigators probing the massacre of seven people during a church service outside Milwaukee focused on the gunman's apparent anger with the church and brought in experts to break into his encrypted computer files, authorities said Tuesday.
"All we know is he was very upset with the church, either with church generally or a portion of the church or a sermon," said Waukesha (Wis.) County District Atty. Paul Bucher. "We've ruled out everything else."
Terry Ratzmann, 44, of New Berlin, Wis., shot and killed himself after the weekend rampage at a Living Church of God service at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield hotel in Brookfield.
Bucher said he wasn't sure if Ratzmann was targeting Rev. Randy Gregory of Gurnee and his family when he opened fire, although Brookfield police said they are investigating that as a strong possibility.
"What was amazing is, in talking to these members, they aren't angry at him," Monson said. "Most feel bad for the family and feel sorry for him. We haven't come across anything that would give any indication he would do anything like this."
On Tuesday afternoon, a warrant to search Ratzmann's home was released at the Waukesha County Circuit Courthouse in Waukesha. The warrant described the police request to search for hidden weapons and ammunition, suicide notes, computers and related equipment, diaries, calendars, notebooks, drugs or drug paraphernalia and any documents "reflecting any plan, motive and potential existence of co-conspirators and co-actors."
Authorities already have taken possession of four computers, a digital camera, a plastic gun case, cartridges and a bolt-action rifle, according to the warrant.
Ratzmann entered the room where the service had already begun and fired 22 rounds, seemingly focused on Gregory and his family, who were sitting in the back of the room, police said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
You mean it WASN'T the guns fault? /sarcasm
Since he was a skilled computer professional, his encrypted files are probably uncrackable. They usually use a dictionary attack, but no one who knows anything about security would fail to use a strong passphrase.
the perp is dead, crazy is the motive, why waste more time digging through his computer?
Nothing resolves the shooter of course from his terrible crime. Also, the wider possible extenuating situations around it, are also worth getting to the bottom of. That is exactly what these crack investigators seem to be doing. The story has shifted from the 'dispondent unemployed' and 'depressed', to more of 'situation(s) within his church', additional objective factors in addition to his own state. It will be interest to see what comes of it.
So the guy who went on a rampage and killed a bunch of people was angry?
Boy, these cops are all over this one I tell ya!!
Who's running this investigation, Chief Quimby?
They should be looking to try various religious phrases or pass words!
Well, actually, the gun drove him to it. I've got my Remington gagged right now so I can't hear it anymore...
Oooo, good idea. I think I'll have a little talk with my Kimbers this evening.
Guy was 44 and living with his mom and sister? Ever married? Could it have anything to do with church stance on homosexuality conversion? Just a thought.
However, the thread seems to be unraveling. Former members of that small apocalyptic sect who left it (some would say "escaped") speculated on a thread that perhaps he was subject to one of their sermons where the pastor singles out someone in front of the others (with enough references so all know whom is being referred to), and criticize their obedience to church mandates, etc. The man did leave in a "huff" during one of their sermons..and police now believe he seemed to target the slain pastor and his family. Eyewitnesses said it was uncontrollable 'anger' they saw in his dark eyes as he repeatedly shot at certain people. I dont' know. Too much out there unknown at present.
There was a suggestion in earlier stories that this is some sort of End Time church.
It's pure speculation, but I wonder if the pastor predicted a specific date for the end of the world, and then changed it to a different date? These kinds of predictions have been common since the mid nineteenth century. When the date passes and nothing happens, the pastor just gives the congregation new speculations and a new date.
Samuel Butler, whose revolt against his parents' religion is fictionalized in "The Way of All Flesh," went through this sort of process repeatedly. His parents would constantly come up with some new turn in foreign affairs which indicated the impending end of the world--constantly changed and adjusted.
From what I've read and come to learn about them in the last four days, it is indeed an "End Times" church with heavy management of the personal, socialized (coerced if not strongly recommended) life choices of it's adherents.
Their pastor (called a Chief Evangelist who stated in 1998 when he was in charge of another spit-off church preceding this one, that he was selected by Jesus Christ) sent a letter or tape to members several weeks ago, predicting that the world would come to an end, or Jesus would return or otherwise things would become very unbearable, by the year 2020, a mere 15 years away. He stated these things would develop in increasing frequency even from right now over the nest 180 months.
Don't do it! The firearm is likely to talk you into shooting someone.
You mean it WASN'T the guns fault? /sarcasm
This was obviously a difficult story for the reporter. Do I blame it on the gun or do I blame it on religion?
In this case religion seems to have won out especially since this was one of those weird "end times" religious groups that meets in a hotel instead of a regular church building and is just one step away from being Branch Davidians or something. (Of course of they had their own building it would be a compound)
The intent of the mass murderer is not something that is not noble nor non-meritorious to try to ascertain and/or discuss. In fact, it is, in portions, beginning to come to light. I welcome the truth on this shooting. Certainly it never will be nor could it be blamed on a gun.
And there was a time I guess, when people generally said (in reference to Branch Davidians, or Asahara Shoko's Aum [sarin gas] cult, or People's Temple, or Heaven's Gate mind control sects, 'hey, mellow out, leave em' alone. They are not hurting anyone. They're harmless'.
Their family members thought, and then regretted later, otherwise.
I still maintain that 2 to the 256th power is a very large number indeed.
You can try 100 million keys per second, and it will still take more than the time between the beginning of the universe and now to find the right one.
I did some research for a 'use a secure password' faq. Using a modest 500MHz precessor, times to crack a password through brute force are:
4 characters: 45 seconds
5 characters: 1 hour 18 min
6 characters: 5 days
7 characters: 1 year
8 characters: 11,474 years
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