Spokesman-Review – Randy Weaver, who became a hero of the modern militia movement after an 11-day standoff with federal agents at Ruby Ridge, has died.
The 74-year-old died Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from Weaver’s daughter, Sara Weaver.
Sara Weaver, who lives in Marion, Montana, didn’t share details about her father’s death and couldn’t be reached for comment.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, which doubles as the coroner’s office, said it had no information on Weaver. Logan Health Medical Center, the region’s largest hospital, did not answer questions about whether he was a patient.
Weaver, an Iowan who moved to North Idaho with his family in the 1980s, became a household name in August 1992.
U.S. marshals attempted to arrest him after he failed to appear in court to face charges for manufacturing and possessing illegal shotguns.
Weaver refused to surrender and holed up in the family’s cabin atop Ruby Ridge, near Naples in Boundary County.
On Aug. 21, six marshals surveilling Weaver’s cabin ran into him, his 14-year-old son, Sammy, and friend Kevin Harris. The encounter led to a shootout and the deaths of U.S. Deputy Marshal William Degan and Sammy Weaver.
Hundreds of federal agents flocked to the remote site following the incident and the 11-day siege began.
Violence continued on Aug. 22 when FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi shot and killed Weaver’s wife, Vicki Weaver.
“It was tragedy on both sides,” said Tony Stewart, one of the founding members of the Kootenai County Human Rights Task Force on Human Relations. “There were no winners.”
The standoff captivated the nation. Millions of Americans watched the event unfold on TV and in print until it ended on Aug. 31. Weaver was arrested and taken to Boise, while his daughters went to live with relatives … READ MORE.
