Cops: Cedar Lake Man Threatened His Own Elementary School Massacre
CEDAR LAKE (STMW) -- Police on Saturday seized 47 guns and ammunition from the home of a northwest Indiana man who a day earlier had threatened to set his wife on fire after she fell asleep and kill as many people as he could at a nearby elementary school, investigators said.
Von Meyer, 60, of the 9300 block of West 133rd Avenue was arrested Saturday on felony charges of intimidation and misdemeanor charges of domestic battery and resisting law enforcement.
Many of the guns found hidden throughout the two-story historic home were collector's items, according to Cedar Lake Interim Police Chief Gerald H. Smith, with an estimated value of over $100,000.
Cedar Lake police were called to the home early Friday, Smith said, after Meyer reportedly threatened to set his wife on fire after she fell asleep. Meyer also allegedly said he would enter the school and kill as many people as he could be before police could stop him, according to Smith.
The Meyer property is less than 1,000 feet from Jane Ball Elementary School and the properties are connected by a series of trails and walking paths though a wooded area.
Police notified the school resource officer, Smith said, and school officials worked with police to increase security at all local schools during the day on Friday.
On Saturday morning, police presented the case to the Lake County Prosecutor's Office. Formal charges were filed and both a search warrant and an arrest warrant were issued, Smith said.
Assistance from the Lake County Police Tactical Team was requested, Smith said, and Meyer was taken into custody without incident. Meyer, who Smith said was a known member of The Invaders motorcycle gang, was taken to Lake County Jail and held without bond pending an initial hearing.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
