Oops: Georgia man who plotted courthouse takeover accidentally shot himself first

A Georgia man's plan to takeover the Forsyth County Courthouse earlier this year was probably doomed from the beginning because he shot himself before he even left his home.

In June, Dennis Marx brought an assault rifle, grenades, homemade flash-bangs, and other supplies to the courthouse with the intentions of taking over the building. Marx, who was part of the sovereign citizen movement, had been angry after authorities seized some of his weapons in 2011 in connection with undercover drug deals.

But Marx was shot and killed by deputies before he could make it into the building. One deputy was shot in the knee during the incident, and was expected to recover.

In a presentation to the Lanier Forsyth Rotary Club on Tuesday, authorities shed light on why they had such an easy time taking down the heavily armed suspect, the Forsyth County News reported.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Thompson explained that Marx had apparently shot himself in the leg while loading his .45 caliber pistol before leaving the house. The bullet entered above the thigh and exited below the knee.

Thompson speculated that the wound forced Marx to leave for the courthouse earlier than planned because a grenade-filled backpack was found in his home.

Deputies had also conducted drills for a possible courthouse attack only a day earlier.

Thompson said that Marx had been no match for luck, training and “even a blessing from God.”

Watch the video below from CBS 46.

WFSB 3 Connecticut