An anti-tax protestor crashed his small plane into a building in Austin, Texas yesterday after setting his home on fire and posting a suicide note on the internet.
Authorities later identified the man as Joseph Stack, who wrote before the crash that, “violence is not only the answer, it is the only answer.”
According to Stack’s wife, Sheryl, Joseph had become angrier than usual in the weeks preceding yesterday’s crash. Sheryl Stack’s step-father, Jack Cook, also spoke to the New York Times. “The reason he flew the airplane against that building [was]…not to kill people, but just to damage the IRS,” he said.
Despite Mr. Stacks alleged intent, however, two people were killed in the crash, two more are in critical condition and an additional 11 suffered from heat-related injuries.
As his post and family’s account reflects, Stack had a heavy grievance with the IRS. Investigators are now looking into what exactly drove Mr. Stack to crash the plane into the building that contained roughly 190 IRS employees.
Since the crash, numerous internet sites have, “lit up with government haters cheering suicide pilot Joe Stack and calling him a hero,” according to the Associated Press.
Federal authorities have taken the reigns of the investigation, and are treating the crash as a criminal act.