On the morning of July 4, Yellowstone National Park law enforcement rangers responded to a shooting incident at Canyon Village. The shooter, identified as 28-year-old Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner of Milton, Florida, was firing a semi-automatic rifle toward a dining facility. Fussner was killed during an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement rangers. The incident is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and reviewed by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming.
The incident began just after midnight when Yellowstone’s 911 dispatch center received a report of a woman being held against her will by Fussner at Canyon Village. The woman reported that Fussner had threatened to kill her and others, including plans for mass shootings at July 4th events outside the park.
Law enforcement rangers located Fussner’s unoccupied vehicle in the Canyon area and deployed to protect park visitors and employees while searching for him. By the early hours of July 4, over 20 National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement rangers, including the park’s special response team, were involved in the operation.
At approximately 8 a.m., law enforcement rangers encountered Fussner near Canyon Lodge, which houses dining rooms for employees and the public. Fussner was firing a semi-automatic rifle as he approached the service entrance, with about 200 people inside the building. Rangers engaged Fussner, resulting in an exchange of gunfire during which Fussner was shot and killed. One ranger was injured but has since been released from the hospital.
Fussner was an employee of Xanterra Parks and Resorts, a private business operating in Yellowstone. The FBI, along with the NPS and other partners, is providing victim and witness support to those involved in the incident.
NPS policy mandates that involved law enforcement rangers be placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation. The NPS will release body-worn camera footage of the incident within 30 days, consistent with Department of the Interior and NPS policies.
Superintendent Cam Sholly commended the rangers’ quick response, stating, “Thanks to the heroic actions of our law enforcement rangers, many lives were saved here last Thursday. We are working now to provide maximum support to those involved and their families.”
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