Campground Bloodshed
<http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/camp_standoff010904.html>
Standoff Between Marijuana Advocate, FBI Leads to Two Fatal Shootings
By James Pritchard
The Associated Press
VANDALIA, Mich., Sept. 4 A campground standoff ended in its fifth day with
a second man fatally shot by police today after he allegedly pointed a
weapon at an officer.
Rolland Rohm, 28, was shot about 6:30 a.m., less than 12 hours after his
roommate was fatally shot by an FBI agent, Cass County Sheriff Joseph
Underwood Jr. said.
Rohm had been ordered several times to put his weapon down, Underwood said.
He said Rohm pointed the gun at a Michigan State Police officer and was shot.
A police bomb squad was checking the campground.
"It's our understanding that the campground has been booby-trapped,"
Underwood said.
Early today, Rohm had said he would surrender at 7 a.m. if his son were
brought to see him, Underwood said. The sheriff said police were in the
process of granting the request when shortly after 6 a.m., a fire was
reported at the compound.
Rohm was then seen leaving the residence with a long gun and walking into
the yard, Underwood said. He said police warned Rohm to drop the weapon,
but he instead pointed it at an officer.
Investigating Burning Buildings
Rohm lived at the campground, called Rainbow Farms, with Grover T.
Crosslin, the campground's owner. Crosslin, 47, was fatally shot Monday
evening by an FBI agent after pointing a rifle at the agent, Underwood said.
Crosslin had been facing felony drug and weapons charges, authorities said.
The standoff began Friday when deputies went to the farm after neighbors
said Crosslin was burning buildings on his property, which is the target of
civil forfeiture proceedings. A house and four main buildings on the
campground property appeared to have been burned since then, Underwood said.
Crosslin reportedly warned neighbors that day to leave the area because
"all hell was going to break loose."
Dori Leo, Crosslin's and Rohm's attorney, said Rohm and his 12-year-old
son, who was recently placed in foster care, had lived with Crosslin for at
least five years. Leo said Crosslin was upset because Rohm's son, who he
helped raise, had been taken from the home.
Facing Drug, Weapons Charges
Deputies said they believe Crosslin was upset about a bond revocation
hearing scheduled for Friday. It was set because police believed he had
held a festival on the campground, in violation of the terms of his release
on previous drug and weapons charges.
Crosslin had been arrested in May over allegations of marijuana use at his
34-acre campground and charged with felony possession of a firearm, growing
marijuana and maintaining a drug house.
Authorities alleged Crosslin shot a news helicopter from WNDU-TV in nearby
South Bend, Ind., as it flew overhead Friday. Shots also were fired at an
unmarked state police plane Saturday but missed, police said. Both aircraft
landed safely without injuries.
According to the Rainbow Farm's Web site, Crosslin bought the property
about 15 years ago with the idea of supporting "the medical, spiritual and
responsible recreational uses of marijuana for a more sane and
compassionate America."
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