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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, – The Park County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that a Milton, Florida man was killed in a gunfire exchange at Yellowstone National Park last week. The incident left one park ranger injured.
The shooting occurred overnight from Wednesday into the early hours of July 4th, according to a news release from the National Park Service (NPS). The injured ranger, who has since been released from the hospital, is reported to be in stable condition.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner, was reported to park rangers for making threats in the Canyon Village area, which is known for its lodges, cabins, and camping facilities. When rangers confronted Fussner, gunfire was exchanged.
Fussner approached a building occupied by approximately 200 people, firing a semi-automatic rifle, park officials revealed on Tuesday. Several law enforcement rangers near Canyon Lodge engaged Fussner in a gunfight. Fussner was killed at the scene, while one ranger was shot in a lower extremity. No other injuries were reported.
“Thanks to the heroic actions of our law enforcement rangers, many lives were saved here last Thursday,” said Superintendent Cam Sholly in a statement. “These rangers immediately confronted this shooter and took decisive action to ensure he was no longer a threat to public safety.”
Fussner was employed by Xanterra Parks and Resorts, a private company contracted by the National Park Service to provide lodging and other services at Yellowstone.
The incident began shortly after midnight on Thursday when 911 dispatchers at Yellowstone received a call from a woman who reported being held against her will by a man with a gun at a residence in Canyon Village. The woman also reported that Fussner had threatened to kill her and others and planned a mass shooting at Fourth of July events outside Yellowstone.
Rangers found Fussner’s unoccupied car in the Canyon area and deployed law enforcement strategically to protect park visitors and workers. Over 20 rangers, including Yellowstone’s special response team, were involved in the search for Fussner during the start of a busy holiday weekend in the park’s peak month. Canyon Village, which includes Canyon Lodge and Cabins with 500 rooms and a campground with over 270 sites, was a primary focus of the search.
The rangers involved in the shooting are on paid administrative leave during the investigation, a standard procedure. The park service plans to release body-camera footage of the incident within 30 days.
While people are allowed to possess guns in Yellowstone, firing them is prohibited within the park. The case is currently being investigated by the FBI, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Wyoming set to review the findings.