April 8, 2009: In 2001, the Crown Prince of Nepal, Dipendra, brought an assault rifle to a family gathering, and killed his parents (the king and queen) and seven other family members, and then himself. It was believed he was drunk or high on drugs. But a cousin, the last Crown Prince, recently revealed that Dipendra was actually enraged that his father refused to approve the purchase of the German G36 assault rifle, to replace older rifles in the army. Instead, the army was buying American M-16s. Dipendra would have gotten a $15 million bribe if the army had bought the G36. Dipendra was also upset that his father would not approve the Crown Prince's choice of a bride. The king also planned to abolish the monarchy before Dipendra could become king.
In the wake of the massacre, the kings brother became king, and the monarchy was abolished anyway last year. Dipendra would not have made a good king, as he was a playboy, and dedicated to drugs and partying. This may have been one reason his father was determined to abolish the monarchy and go out on a high note. The murdered king was very popular, and his death, especially at the hands of his own crown prince, was a major shock to Nepali royalists.
