Gunman: 'If You're Not A Christian You're Going To Die'

[Caitlin.ann]

BOULDER, Colo. -- A 24-year-old ski lift operator who fatally shot the general manager of the Eldora ski area was determined to kill co-workers who weren't Christian, according to court records obtained Thursday.
The documents, filed Wednesday in Boulder District Court, said witnesses told authorities that Derik Bonestroo walked into a building at work, fired a gun into the ceiling and said: "If you're not Christian, you're going to die."
General manager Brian Mahon was shot and killed Dec. 30 at the ski area west of Nederland, Colo., in Boulder County.

Witnesses said when Bonestroo asked Mahon's religion, Mahon said "Catholic" and Bonestroo shot him twice: in the chest and head. Mahon is believed to have died instantly.

Link

 

[S53]

What a nut job.

 

[Secundulus]

Link

I read about this the other day. In 1990 I remember that everyone thought we were entering a new phase of universal peace. It seems we have been moving backwards ever since.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

What a nut job.

Agree!

I read about this the other day. In 1990 I remember that everyone thought we were entering a new phase of universal peace. It seems we have been moving backwards ever since.

Psh peace? Never gonna happen.

To be honest its freaks like this that make me timid to wear any form of religious jewelry. My pentacle, my cernunnos, my thors hammer, my ankh..I can only imagine what I'd have said.

 

[ladyt28]

Be who you are SS, we can't live in fear of what the next murderous fanatic may want - who knows, the next shooter may be out to GET all Christians?

 

[lawtonfogle]

Wait... something does seem a bit backwards here, no?

 

[clarksided]

Somebody forgot to read the Bible...or go to Church...or do anything other than claim to be Christian...


...but more likely than any of that, dude's probably just nuts.

 

[craigerNY]

Somebody forgot to read the Bible...or go to Church...or do anything other than claim to be Christian...


...but more likely than any of that, dude's probably just nuts.

Pretty much

 

[jellybean99]

It's rather disturbing the way this article was titled and arranged. Instead of focusing on the man's emotional state, which seemed to be the primary trigger for this event, the writers chose to title the article, "If You're not a Christian, you're Going to Die." It implies a religious fanaticism in the Christian Religion that is rare and condemned by nearly all within the Christian faith.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the article, we read, "Among the list of items confiscated from Bonestroo's apartment were medication and a dead cat that was stabbed several times, Pelle said. The cat was believed to be Bonestroo's pet. Interviews with friends and family member indicated Bonestroo recently had been suffering 'significant emotional distress'..."

No one knows for sure if the man Bonestroo shot would still be alive if he said, "I'm a Christian," given the shooter's emotional state. The man just stabbed his cat to death. Clearly, the news outlet has chosen to project an image of a Christian gone mad, rather than a emotionally disturbed individual who was prescribed a medication, likely Effexor, at the time.

The title of the article is no more appropriate than if it read,

Christianity Killed the Cat
or
Effexor Connected to Another Psycho Murder

http://theeffexoractivist.org/

There are certainly more insane murders in the last decade connected to Effexor than to Christianity. Effexor is the most widely prescribed anti-depressant in the Western world, with over 300 million anti-depressant prescriptions filled each year in the U.S. alone. Ask your pusher if Effexor is right for you.
​

 

[craigerNY]

He didn't run around telling people he was killing them because he was taking Effexor, he specifically said "if you're not a Christian you're gonna die". In my opinion whatever he was saying while doing what he did is worth reporting. Why would you bury what he was saying on his rampage?

It should be known that plenty of non-Christians such as myself understand that crazy, not Christianity is why he did it. In no way does what he did reflect on Christians or Christianity.

 

[cobweb]

Since when are Catholics not Christian?

Crazy guy threatens to kill everyone who isn't a Christian... and then kills a Christian.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

Since when are Catholics not Christian?

Crazy guy threatens to kill everyone who isn't a Christian... and then kills a Christian.

I agree but to be honest, I've heard many christians in my personal life and online stating that catholics "aren't" christian.

 

[BlackAndy]

I agree but to be honest, I've heard many christians in my personal life and online stating that catholics "aren't" christian.

And vice versa from catholics.... this guy was obviously neither.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

And vice versa from catholics.... this guy was obviously neither.

Thats a matter of opinion.

 

[BlackAndy]

Thats a matter of opinion.

Yeah, his behavior is indicative of real Christianity.

 

[Caitlin.ann]

Yeah, his behavior is indicative of real Christianity.

No where did I say that. What I did say is that "christians" are very varied and different. I think he believed he was a Christian and that he could be classified as one in belief system, though I also think he was crazy. You are indeed becoming defensive over nothing, or have you forgotten hundreds of years of born again Christians killing pagans? Or even Christian heretics?

 

[Garyzenuf]

Somebody forgot to read the Bible...or go to Church...or do anything other than claim to be Christian...


...but more likely than any of that, dude's probably just nuts.

Sounds like Adolph alright.

*

 

[clarksided]

Basically, though this guy stopped well short of Hitler's mark, and he also didn't care about race (or didn't say he cared about race, anyway).

 

[humblemuslim]

Somebody forgot to read the Bible...or go to Church...or do anything other than claim to be Christian...


...but more likely than any of that, dude's probably just nuts.

Seriously. When people claim to be such and such faith, the media should take some time to at least point out the person's religious history for context. I wonder if he just used religion as an excuse.

 

[JFox1]

The article stated that his cat was found dead from stab wounds. Did he stab the cat because it wasn't Christian?