From Georgia, a self-proclaimed sovereign citizen charged with firearms violations and marijuana possession tried to take over a court house in Forysth County and take hostages. Fortunately, he failed but not before shooting a Sheriff’s deputy.
Forsyth County Sheriff Duane Piper said the shooter, Dennis Marx, walked into Forsyth County Administration Building on East Main Street at about 10:30 a.m. and opened fire. He was armed with an assault rifle, according to authorities. Piper said Marx threw stop sticks on the road so that cars could not approach.
Marx was approached by deputy Daniel Rush who he then shot in the leg, Piper confirmed.
“The only way I can describe it is in a frontal assault on our court house,” Piper said.
According to his former attorney, Marx’s stated profession was as a “gun dealer.” Local police believe he planned this assault on the court house for a long time.
The suspect was carrying several hand grenades, smoke grenades, tear gas grenades, homemade explosive devices, tear gas, water, zip ties and several magazines of ammunition. He was wearing body armor and a gas mask, according to Piper. Eight officers fired on Marx, most were armed with pistols, two had assault rifles, Piper said in an afternoon news conference.
Piper said that authorities were at Marx’s home on Friday afternoon. Piper said they expected the home to be booby-trapped, based on what they found in his vehicle. He said that the had been booby-trapped before. Piper said deputies had seen “pits with punji sticks” at the home before.
Forsyth county is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Marx was formerly employed as a TSA agent in 2002.
