ASPEN, Colo. (AP) – 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, police said Thursday. 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 a short time later, police said. The body of James Chester Blanning, who grew up in Aspen and lived in Denver since 2003, was found Thursday, police said.
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, police said. The notes threatened “mass death,” demanded $60,000 cash and included criticisms of President George W. Bush, Assistant Aspen Police Chief Bill Linn said at a news conference.
The threats prompted police to clear nearly all of downtown Aspen – 16 blocks that otherwise would have been filled with tens of thousands of New Year’s revelers. Residents were allowed to return at 4 a.m. Thursday, and the town’s holiday fireworks were rescheduled for Thursday night. On the outside of the envelope containing the note was Blanning’s handwritten “last will and testament,” which left three Denver properties to two men. He gave no motive, but wrote, “I was and am a good man.”
Aspen has gotten far too expensive for anyone except the rich, the working class of Aspen are forced to commute. You should expect more class warfare in the near future.
