nal, Randy Weaver.
             For an entire year, the U.S. Marshals Service was involved in gathering information about Weaver, and developing a plan to arrest him. So, why didn't they just go to his mountain cabin and arrest him? Randy Weaver was a white separatist. His religious and political views were far outside the American mainstream. Weaver also like guns and had many of them. "Based on information that is collected, the Marshals Service learned that for many years Weaver had made statements about his intent to violently confront federal law enforcement officials. As a result, the Marshals Service concluded that Weaver intended to resist violently governmental attempts to arrest him (Department of Justice Ruby Ridge Report)." Therefore, they decided an undercover operation would be the most prudent and safe way to go.
             A team of six U.S. Marshals approached the edge of the woods that surrounded the Weaver's cabin on the afternoon of August 21, 1992. The Weaver's dogs began to bark loudly, so Randy, Kevin, and Sammy began to follow their dogs through the woods. Gunfire erupted in the woods. The Weaver's dog, Striker, was killed. Sammy was shot in the back and killed. Kevin shot and killed a U.S. Marshal. It was concluded in the Justice Department report that is was impossible to know who fired the first shot.
             The shooting abruptly stopped; Randy and Kevin drug Sammy's body to the shed and the standoff began. Since a U.S. Marshal was down the FBI was calle
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