Randy Weaver, who had an 11-day standoff with federal agents in 1992 in a remote area of Idaho, died Wednesday, his daughter said. He was 74.
Weaver’s death was announced in a Facebook post by his daughter, Sara Weaver. A cause of death has not been released, according to KHQ-TV.
On Aug. 21, 1992, Randy Weaver, a self-described white separatist, was involved in a gun battle with six federal agents in Ruby Ridge, located in the mountains about 40 miles south of the Canadian border, The Spokane Spokesman-Review reported. Marshals had attempted to arrest Randy Weaver after he failed to appear in court to face charges of possessing and manufacturing illegal shotguns, according to the newspaper.
Marshals confronted Randy Weaver; his 14-year-old son, Samuel Weaver; and family friend Kevin Harris at a cabin in Ruby Ridge, KREM-TV reported.
An exchange of gunfire left Samuel Weaver and U.S. Deputy Marshal William Degan dead, the Spokesman-Review reported. That ignited an 11-day standoff that made national news.
The next day, FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi fatally shot and killed Randy Weaver’s wife, Vicki Weaver, according to the newspaper.
Randy Weaver and his three daughters surrendered on Aug. 31, KHQ reported.
In 1993, a jury acquitted Randy Weaver and Harris in the death of Degan, the Spokesman-Review reported. Weaver was convicted on two minor gun counts and served 16 months in jail, according to KHQ.
The Department of Justice disciplined 12 federal agents after the standoff, and the agency paid the Weaver family $3.1 million for the deaths of Vicki Weaver and Sammy Weaver, according to the newspaper.
Randy Weaver co-wrote wrote a 1998 book, “The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge,” with Sara Weaver. A mini-series, “The Siege at Ruby Ridge,” starring Randy Quaid and Laura Dern, aired in 1996, according to IMDb.com.
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