The 41-day Oregon standoff has finally ended after the four remaining occupiers at the wildlife refuge surrendered to the FBI on Thursday. One of the last four occupiers gave up more than an hour later after the first three submitted themselves to the FBI. They were taken to Portland to face federal charges.
In a report by Reuters, three of the four occupiers surrendered first while the last person, identified as 27-year-old David Fry, stayed behind for more than an hour. He told supporters through a phone call that he did not agree with the first three to leave Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. According to the site, he repeatedly threatened to kill himself as mediators tried to convince him to surrender on the other end of the line.
The call was livestreamed on the internet via an audio feed.
"I'm actually pointing a gun at my head. I'm tired of living. Until you address my grievances, you're probably going to have to watch me be killed, or kill myself," he stated during the phone call.
He mostly talked about the government and his thoughts on UFOs, as well as the drone strikes in Pakistan, leaking nuclear plants as well as the government "chemically mutating" people, The Washington Post reported. Fry surrendered after he took a final cigarette and asked mediators to shout "hallelujah."
Fry joined the occupation within the first week of the takeover. He is known to be one of the most outspoken protesters, who is often posting angry rants on his social media accounts.
As previously reported, the takeover began on January 2 after two Oregon ranchers were convicted of setting fire that spread to federal property in the area of the refuge.
The standoff was led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, who according to CNN, were arrested in January along with nine other protesters. Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, the spokesman of the group, was shot dead during a highway incident. Meanwhile, the father of the Bundy brothers, Cliven Bundy, was arrested on Wednesday and was charged with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer and obstruction of justice. The last charge was in connection with a separate 2014 standoff on federal land near his Nevada ranch.
Cliven's arrest led to the last occupiers' surrender. The remaining three have been identified as Jeff Banta, 46, and husband and wife, Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson , 47. They were all taken to Portland to face federal charges including conspiracy to impede federal officers.
The refuge is to remain closed for weeks as FBI agents are securing the area, which is considered a crime scene. They will scour the area for fugitives and explosives as the occupiers said they left booby traps behind.
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