Randy Weaver

Randy Weaver was born on January 3, 1948, to Clarence and Wilma Weaver, a farming couple in Villisca, Iowa. He was one of four children. The Weavers were deeply religious and had difficulty finding a denomination that matched their views; they often moved around among evangelical, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches. After graduating from Jefferson High School in 1966, he attended Iowa Central Community College for two years. In 1968, he dropped out to enlist in the United States Army during the height of the Vietnam War. He was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where he served as a Green Beret. == Ruby Ridge siege ==

Background A month after leaving the Army, Randy Weaver and Vicki Jordison married in a ceremony at the First Congregationalist Church in Fort Dodge, Iowa, in November 1971. After a semester at the University of Northern Iowa, Randy dropped out after finding well-paying work at a local John Deere factory. Around 1978, partially as a result of reading the 1970 book The Late Great Planet Earth, the couple began to harbor more Christian fundamentalist beliefs, with Vicki believing that the apocalypse was imminent. While the Weavers subscribed to ideas that broadly fell under the category of Christian Identity, their beliefs were still different. Like many in that movement, Vicki Weaver developed a set of beliefs which were based on her adherence to Old Covenant Laws, and her family referred to God as Yahweh (see Sacred Name Movement). They also believed themselves to be Israelites. Fadeley was actually an undercover ATF agent investigating the Aryan Nation complex under the alias "Gus Magisano". Weaver agreed to sell Fadeley two sawed-off shotguns, and was recorded on tape saying he could supply Fadelay with four or five illegal shotguns a week. In December 1990, Weaver received felony weapons charges in connection with the 1989 transaction. At the time of the Ruby Ridge siege, the Weavers had four children: Sara, 16; Samuel, 14; Rachel, 10; and Elisheba, 10 months. Vicki homeschooled the children. During the Marshals Service reconnoiter of the Weaver property, six Marshals encountered Harris, and Randy's 14-year-old son, Sammy Weaver, in the woods near the family cabin. A shootout took place. Marshals shot the Weavers' dog Striker, then shot Sammy in the back as he ran away, killing him. During the firefight, Harris shot Deputy U.S. Marshal, William Francis Degan, in the chest, resulting in Degan's death. All casualties occurred in the first two days of the operation. The siege and standoff were ultimately resolved by civilian negotiator, Bo Gritz, who was instrumental in getting Weaver to allow Harris to get medical attention. Harris surrendered and was arrested on August 30. Weaver and his three daughters surrendered the next day after being convinced by Gritz that there was no other sensible solution. The judge dismissed two counts after hearing prosecution witness testimony. The jury acquitted Weaver of all remaining charges except two, one of which the judge set aside. He was found guilty of one count, failure to appear, for which he was fined $10,000, and sentenced to 18 months in prison. ==Later life==

Weaver testified about his racial beliefs before a U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee in 1995: "I am not a hateful racist the way most people understand that, but I believe that if there is separation of the races, scripturally speaking, that is what I believe is right. It sounds like an impossible task and most likely is, but I believe that people of every race should be proud of who they are and what they are. There are good people in every race; there are bad people in every race." In April 1996, Weaver accompanied Bo Gritz to Jordan, Montana, where Gritz was to attempt to negotiate a conclusion to the Montana Freemen standoff. However, Weaver was not allowed by the FBI to enter the Freemen's holdout. In 1998, Weaver published The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge: In Our Own Words, which he partly sold in person at gun shows. In 1999, Weaver married Linda Gross, a legal secretary, in Jefferson, Iowa. On June 18, 2007, Weaver participated in a press conference with tax protesters Edward and Elaine Brown on the front porch of their home in Plainfield, New Hampshire. He declared, "I ain't afraid of dying no more. I'm curious about the afterlife, and I'm an atheist." ==Death==

Weaver's daughter, Sara, posted online that he had died on May 11, 2022, after being sick since at least mid-April. A cause of death was not given. He was 74 years old. ==Appearance in media==

A CBS miniseries about the Ruby Ridge incident, titled Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy, aired on May 19 and 21, 1996. It was based on the book Every Knee Shall Bow by reporter Jess Walter. Later that year, the television series was adapted into a full-length TV movie, The Siege at Ruby Ridge. PBS' American Experience aired an episode titled "Ruby Ridge" on February 14, 2017. ==See also==