The Daily Populous Thursday July 11st, 2024 morning edition
Authored by abcnews.go.com and submitted by GrammarNaziBadge0174

Yellowstone National Park officials say a gunman killed by park rangers as he fired a semiautomatic rifle at the entrance of a dining facility with 200 people inside had told a woman he planned to carry out a mass shooting

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- The warning from a woman in Yellowstone National Park came in just after midnight on July Fourth: She'd just been held at gunpoint by a man who said he planned to carry out a mass shooting — a random attack common in the U.S. these days but not in the Yellowstone region, let alone the park itself.

Rangers spent the next several hours trying to find the gunman before he showed up outside a dining area with 200 people inside. He shot a barrage of bullets with a semi-automatic rifle at a service entrance.

The rangers — including one who was wounded — shot back. Their rounds hit the attacker, Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner, 28, of Milton, Florida, who died at the scene in the busy Canyon Village tourist lodge area near the scenic Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.

The previously unreleased details provided by park officials Tuesday revealed a harrowing situation that seemingly could have ended badly and raised new questions about the attacker's intent and motivations.

Fussner's Facebook page showed if anything pride about landing a concession job in Yellowstone, a typically seasonal gig that often involves cooking and serving food to the park's 3 million summer visitors. Such jobs usually go to somewhat younger people in their early 20s; often they are college students who journey into the U.S. from a variety of other countries.

Fussner posted a photo of his Xanterra Parks and Resorts badge and photos of him in snowy Yellowstone scenes from mid-May, at the onset of summer tourist season. There are no posts hinting at anger or any other motivation for the shooting.

And while Yellowstone often draws headlines for sometimes deadly mishaps involving wildlife and the park's famous hot springs, shootings — despite the park's millions of visitors and high rate of gun ownership in the region — are exceedingly rare. No attack like this one has happened in the park in recent memory.

The wounded ranger was released from a hospital but not identified. The shooting led authorities to close off Canyon Lodge, a complex of hotel rooms, cabins and dining facilities, until Wednesday.

The facilities are run by Xanterra Parks and Resorts, the main concessionaire for such facilities in Yellowstone.

Soon after midnight July 4, law enforcement rangers heard that Fussner had held a woman against her will with a gun at a residence in Canyon Village, a lodging and dining area. The woman reported that Fussner threatened to kill her and others, including carrying out a mass shooting at Independence Day events outside the park, park officials said in a statement Tuesday.

Rangers found Fussner's vehicle but not him. More than 20 law enforcement rangers, including a park special response team, looked for Fussner while organizing to protect park visitors and employees.

Around 8 a.m. Thursday, law enforcement rangers encountered Fussner as he approached and fired on a service entrance to the Canyon Lodge dining facility. Several of the rangers shot at him, and he died at the scene, according to the statement.

“Thanks to the heroic actions of our law enforcement rangers, many lives were saved here last Thursday,” Yellowstone Superintendent Cam Sholly said in the statement.

The FBI was investigating. Per National Park Service policy, law enforcement rangers involved in a shooting are placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated, the statement said.

Park officials did not immediately comment when asked if any Yellowstone law enforcement rangers had been placed on leave, and how much weaponry Fussner had possessed.

iwatchppldie on July 10th, 2024 at 20:26 UTC »

Guess we should be happy the guy was dumb as a fucking brick shooting at a building. This could have turned out so much worse than it did.

TenderLA on July 10th, 2024 at 19:40 UTC »

Park Rangers showing how it’s done!

GrammarNaziBadge0174 on July 10th, 2024 at 18:16 UTC »

(News Release Update) On the morning of July 4, Yellowstone National Park law enforcement rangers confronted an individual shooting a semi-automatic rifle toward a dining facility at Canyon Village located in the central part of the park. The shooter has been identified by the Park County, Wyoming coroner as Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner, 28, of Milton, Florida. Fussner died after an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement. The investigation into this incident, including the actions of the National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement rangers, is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and will be reviewed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.

Just after midnight on July 4, Yellowstone’s 911 dispatch center received a report that a woman had been held against her will by a man with a gun in a residence at Canyon Village. She also reported to law enforcement rangers that Fussner threatened to kill her and others, including plans to allegedly carry out a mass shooting(s) at July 4th events outside the park.

Responding law enforcement rangers located his vehicle unoccupied in the Canyon area. The preliminary investigation indicated Fussner was likely armed and dangerous. With the individual at large, law enforcement rangers were strategically deployed to protect areas with park visitors and employees while searching for Fussner, and the park’s 911 dispatch center notified surrounding jurisdictions. By the early hours of July 4, over 20 NPS law enforcement rangers, including the park’s special response team, were working to protect people and locate Fussner.

At approximately 8 a.m., law enforcement rangers posted near Canyon Lodge, which houses employee and public dining rooms, encountered Fussner. Fussner reportedly walked toward the service entrance of the facility while firing a semi-automatic rifle. The building was occupied by approximately 200 people at the time. Several law enforcement rangers engaged Fussner. During an exchange of gunfire, Fussner was shot by law enforcement rangers. In addition, one law enforcement ranger was shot in a lower extremity. Additional rangers with emergency medical training rendered aid to both the injured law enforcement ranger and Fussner. Fussner died at the scene. The injured law enforcement ranger was transported to an area hospital in stable condition and has since been released. No other physical injuries were reported.

Fussner was an employee of Xanterra Parks and Resorts, a private business authorized to operate in Yellowstone.

The FBI, with support from the NPS, Xanterra and other partners, is providing victim/witness support to anyone who was involved in the incident.