While most Americans spent the Fourth of July watching fireworks and catching up with friends or family by the grill, some of the people who decided to spend the day at Yellowstone National Park witnessed a much less festive situation.
On Thursday, a shootout between park rangers and a man who was reportedly uttering threats while armed with a gun resulted in the latter's death and the injury of a law enforcement officer.
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Spanning Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, Yellowstone attracts over three million visitors a year with its array of mountain wildlife and famous sights like the Old Faithful geyser and geothermal pools. The incident occurred in the very early hours of July 4 when rangers were called to the Canyon Village, where the park's main lodges and campgrounds are located, to subdue the armed man.
'Rangers responded to a report of an individual with a firearm making threats'
The officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire, resulting in the suspect's death. The injured ranger was taken to the hospital and is now in stable condition. Meanwhile, the entire area around Canyon Village has been closed for investigation.
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"Rangers responded to a report of an individual with a firearm who was making threats," the National Park Service (NPS) said in a press release. "When rangers contacted the individual, there was an exchange of gunfire between the subject and law enforcement rangers."
While the NPS has stressed that there are "no active threats to the public" in the area where the incident occurred, the shootout sent shockwaves because Yellowstone is a very popular destination for families with children. Many of the details around the incident remain unanswered — neither the suspect's nor the involved rangers' names, as well as any details on whose gun ultimately killed the park-goer, have been released to the public as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigates what occurred.
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'Details around this incident are under investigation'
"The FBI is leading the investigation with support from National Park Service special agents," the NPS said further. "Details around this incident are under investigation. No additional information is available at this time."
While this one is the most extreme examples, a number of safety incidents have occurred at Yellowstone in the last few months. Most have had to do with wildlife — in June an 83-year-old woman was gored when a bison snuck up behind her on a hike through Storm Point Trail. In April, a 40-year-old Utah man was caught kicking a bison at Yellowstone (after being treated in the hospital for resulting injuries, he was slapped with a federal charge around disturbing wildlife.)
Other common dangers include traffic-related accidents that result when visitors stop to observe wildlife as well as getting lost by straying off designated pathways and trails.
"Traffic-related accidents are the most common cause of injury and death in the park. Don’t let the scenery distract you: drive cautiously and watch for animals," the NPS writes in the safety section of its website for Yellowstone. "If you need to stop for any reason, use a pullout: do not block traffic."
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