Man throws burning book into Laramie County library
CHEYENNE (WNE) — Police are determining whether criminal charges are appropriate for a man who threw a burning book into the main entry area of the Laramie County Library on Monday morning.
According to library Executive Director Antonia Gaona, the man had bought a shake from the library’s cafe, dumped it in a fashion that appeared to be deliberate, lit a personal copy of John Green’s “Paper Towns” on fire, threw the burning book into the main entry area of the library and pulled the fire alarm on his way out, causing an evacuation.
Cheyenne Police Department officers and fire personnel were dispatched to the library, located at 2200 Pioneer Ave., at approximately 11 a.m. Because library staff acted quickly, the fire was out by the time first responders arrived.
No staff members or patrons were injured.
According to CPD Public Information Officer Alex Farkas, officers learned that the individual left the library on foot before officers arrived but later notified law enforcement that he wanted to turn himself in.
He was subsequently transported to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for a mental health evaluation.
His identity has not been released, and no charges had been filed as of Tuesday.
“The incident is being evaluated to determine whether any criminal charges are appropriate,” Farkas wrote in an email response to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. “However, the information gathered by officers also indicates this situation may have been driven by a mental health crisis, rather than criminal intent.”
This story was published on June 3, 2026.
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