An armed suspect was killed Thursday morning in a shootout with rangers in Yellowstone National Park, the National Park Service (NPS) announced in a press release.
A ranger was injured in the shootout and was rushed to hospital where he is in stable condition, a press release said. read. (Related article: Rare bison calf sacred to Native American tribe goes missing, authorities say)
Rangers responded to the scene “after receiving a report of an individual with a gun posing a threat,” according to a press release, and an exchange of gunfire ensued as they attempted to make contact with the suspect. “The individual's identity will not be released at this time,” the National Park Service said.
The scene of the shootout has been closed to the public pending investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation, the press release stated.
The park called the incident a “serious law enforcement incident” on Twitter.
(Warning) A significant law enforcement incident occurred overnight on July 4th and this morning in Canyon Village, located in the central area of ​​Yellowstone National Park.
detail: https://t.co/R2JhWuWkQp pic.twitter.com/fBeco8sbgj
— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) July 4, 2024
The incident occurred in Canyon Village, which has the largest number of lodging facilities in the entire park. According to data from the National Park Service, summer is the busiest time of year for tourists to visit Yellowstone National Park, with July 2021 seeing a new visitation record.
July 4th is historically One of the most deadly The United States has seen a surge in gun violence throughout the year, especially when it comes to gun violence: 20 people were killed and over 100 injured in mass shootings in 2023. Fourth of July weekend shootings.
