The Oregon Militia Standoff Has Finally Come to an End

After threatening suicide, the final occupant finally surrendered Thursday afternoon.

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Complex Original

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After six weeks of tension, the Oregon militia standoff at a wildlife refuge in Burns has finally come to its inevitable conclusion. As authorities negotiated with the remaining four gunmen throughout the night, three of the armed occupants agreed to drop their weapons and surrender by early Thursday morning, Mashable reports. The fourth and final occupant, David Fry, threatened suicide as the standoff was allegedly streamed live, though he eventually agreed to stand down.

Ammon Bundy, the group's makeshift leader, was previously arrested alongside his brother, Ryan, ahead of a violent encounter that ended with the death of armed militia member Robert "LaVoy" Finicum. The group, which quickly became the recipient of some dedicated parodying upon thrusting itself into the spotlight, was apparently occupying the wildlife refuge to protest the arson charges (and subsequent prison sentences) against two ranchers.

Cliven Bundy, Ammon and Ryan's father, was arrested earlier this week and charged with assault on a federal officer and other crimes relating to his own tense standoff in Nevada back in 2014. Bundy, according to Oregon Live, is being held in Multnomah County Jail ahead of a federal court appearance.

"It has never been the FBI's desire to engage these armed occupiers in any way other than through dialogue, and to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully," Greg Bretzing, Oregon's FBI boss, tells CBS News.  According to Bretzing, authorities on Wednesday decided it had become "necessary to take action" to make sure that both federal authorities and this militia of gunmen remained safe.

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