Posted on 01/01/2009 7:20:44 AM PST by NYer
NEDERLAND, Colo. – A gunman who broke into a staff meeting at a Colorado ski resort ranting about religion asked the manager what he believed and shot him twice when the victim responded he was Catholic, according to reports published today about the tragedy.
The gunman later was shot and killed by a sheriff's deputy in a firefight alongside a snowy mountain road, authorities confirmed.
The Boulder County coroner identified the gunman as Derik A. Bonestroo, 24, who had been living in Nederland. According to a report in the Boulder Daily Camera, witnesses said Bonestroo burst into the staff meeting yesterday at the Eldora Mountain Resort near here.
Sheriff Joe Pelle said Bonestroo was yelling something about religion to employees when resort General Manager Brian Mahon heard the commotion and came into the room. The Camera said witnesses reported the shooter asked Mahon which religion he believed, and when Mahon said he was Catholic, the shooter fired twice and killed him.
Sheriff's Commander Phil West said, "There are various interpretations about what was said. Witnesses told us (Bonestroo) had been through some emotional crisis."
Mahon, 49, leaves behind a wife and two children. He had worked at Eldora since 1991.
According to a statement from Boulder County Undersheriff Tom Shomaker, deputy John Seifert was on duty in Nederland when the call came in about the shooting. Told the shooter had fled and given a description of the vehicle, Seifer spotted a suspect vehicle on the Peak-to-Peak Highway only a few miles downhill from the ski area. After a short pursuit, the suspect vehicle stopped, the sheriff said.
"The male driver immediately opened fire on the deputy after stopping his vehicle," the sheriff's department statement said.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
The FReepers to whom Radl referred in his post #3 deserve to be held in low esteem. I am not a Catholic, nor am I anyone’s idea of religious, but enjoy reading the Catholic, Evangelical, Mormon and other threads where much information is provided about the respective religions. However, some times the threads become unreadable for the venom that is spewn. Catholics and Mormons seems to get the worst of it.
Oh My! Relatives! Thy sins be forgiven thee ....
No, you missed the point. When people, of any Christian faith, continually insult other Christians because they do not follow their own specific rituals, it is offensive and wrong. The only true "point" of Christianity should Christ, not ritual. The discussion a few days ago which included a comment "Communion at a Protestant church is meaningless" provided significant insight to me.
This man is a martyr. May the gates of heaven open for him and may the man who did this terrible act be cast into the lowest part of H*ll. Prayers to his family and those of the demented man who took an innocent life. Satan had his way with this fellow. I fear we will see more things like this in the coming year.
“I’m a Christian and if you’re not a Christian I’m here to convert you.”
There you have it. This is the fruit of preaching that Catholics are not Christians. When he heard Mahon say he was Catholic, he shot him. After all, the man wasn’t a Christian... (sarcasm dripping)
For those who contest Catholics’ use of rituals, I offer this: Christ followed every Jewish ritual His entire life. He instituted the first Catholic ritual Himself when He asked us to “Do this in memory of me.” In short, Christ wanted us to grow closer to Him through rituals. Christ did not despise ritual and He did not think there was no place for ritual in religion. He only condemned the pharisees’ empty, insincere rituals.
I never, ever, saw the reason or logic in anti-Catholic commentary. Christians have a multitude of varying views on He and His (our) Father. This dude was obviously a lunatic.
Not really, Satan’s gaining power. This guy is a text book martyr. God be with him and his family.
Ski manager shot after professing Christianity (shot for being a Catholic)
Some would say a Catholic is not a Christian because of the extra Biblical beliefs or practices
A well as the reserve. A Protestant is not saved since they reject the Papal authority over them
That is a perfect description. My sister and brother in law lived there for years, I lived outside of Boulder for several years and loved skiing Eldora.
Prayers for the victim and his family.
Prayers lifted.
If he wanted to commit suicide by cop he should have done it with out killing an innocent.
Lithium is a very common treatment for bipolar disorder.
IMHO...the murderer was misdiagnosed as bipolar when it should have been Schizo affective...
We are entering a new age of martyrdom...not that the old one ever went away.
We assume that martyrdom is a thing of the past or happens only in areas where Christians have historically been at risk..( Middle East, areas where Islam is on the ascendancy).
We have heard multiple times in 2008 of shootings in churches and synagogues...And now it erupts in places that are not associated with religion.
When I started picking up on this trend after the shooting in TN during the summer, for the first time in my life I actually pondered do I love the Lord enough to die for my faith...
It is something we all must consider.
I have never heard that legend
Not a legend; twas true. I graduated CU in ‘73.
But I agree that if, sooner or later, the person doing those rites and ceremonies doesn't have some personal, growing, deepening relationship with Christ, to that person the rites and ceremonies will be pretty empty and unrewarding.
;-D
Happy New Year!
No but DU could instigate such a killing.
And people who are on anti-depressants have a higher rate of suicide and violent behavior than the general public.
Sorry, but here is where I once again bring down the ire of some of the more doctrinaire members of the FR RKBA community by contending that people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness for which violence is a known symptom, like bipolar disorder, should be deprived of their right to keep and bear arms by court order following due process.
That said, anybody want to guess whether a ski resort in Boulder County is a gun free zone?
You provided no reference so I have no idea which news report you just read. According to this article:
A gunman who broke into a staff meeting at a Colorado ski resort ranting about religion asked the manager what he believed and shot him twice when the victim responded he was Catholic.
That's quite specific.
I’m not arguing.
Some Mental illnesses and guns don’t mix.
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