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Posted January 2, 2009
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This iReport is part of an assignment:
365 days in 30 seconds |
Bombs in Aspen Shut Down Town on New Year's Eve
A one-time resident of this city who had been bitter over its transformation into a playground for the rich left four gift-wrapped bombs downtown in a bank-robbery attempt, turning New Year's Eve celebrations into a mass evacuation. The dangerous bombs were made of gasoline and cell phone parts and came with notes warning of "mass death." The 72-year-old man suspected of placing them in two banks and in an alleyway on Wednesday shot and killed himself. The body of James Chester Blanning, who grew up in Aspen and lived in Denver since 2003, was found Thursday. Blanning walked into two Aspen banks about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday and left packages wrapped in holiday paper along with notes saying the boxes contained bombs. The notes threatened "mass death," demanded $60,000 cash and included criticisms of President George W. Bush. Blanning's notes said he was targeting four banks but only two - a Wells Fargo Bank and a nearby Vectra Bank - received the packages. Later, police found two similar packages atop a black sled in a downtown alley. The bombs were dangerous, containing plastic bladders of gasoline. I am so glad no one was hurt in this tragic ordeal.
- TAGS:
- spontaneous,
- year_in_review
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