What Caused the Deadly Shooting at Yellowstone National Park?

Visitors to Yellowstone National Park over the Independence Day weekend were rocked by news of a fatal shootout that occurred within park boundaries on the morning of July 4. That afternoon, the NPS published a press release about the incident: rangers responding to an emergency call had exchanged gunfire with an unidentified man at Canyon Village, one of the park’s busiest destinations.

Officials shot and killed the armed man, the release said, and one ranger received wounds in the exchange and was treated at a nearby hospital. The NPS said the Federal Bureau of Investigation had launched an inquiry into the shooting.

The incident occurred during one of the busiest periods at Yellowstone, with tens of thousands of visitors entering the park throughout the weekend. Afterward, one of the park’s biggest lodges was shuttered—a move that impacted hundreds of visitors.

The NPS has yet to disseminate any additional information on the incident after the initial press release. But local news outlets have published more details on the shooting, the suspect, and the fallout. Here’s a quick rundown of what has been reported.

What Happened?

The original NPS release said the incident took place late on July 3 and into the morning of July 4 at Canyon Lodge, a collection of hotel rooms, cabins, and employee dormitories within Canyon Village. Rangers responded to a report of an individual with a firearm “making threats,” and when rangers made contact with the individual, gunfire broke out.

Employees and visitors told local media that they realized something was amiss in the area early on the morning of July 4. One employee arriving to work at the Canyon Lodge restaurant at 7 A.M. was turned home due to an “active shooter,” a source told the Jackson Hole News and Guide. 

Shortly thereafter, gunshots rang out across Canyon Village. Park visitors Janet Paulsen and Mike Erickson told Cowboy State Daily that they heard approximately 100 pops at 8 A.M. The two thought the explosions were fireworks, but they later learned that they were gunshots.

Guests and employees took cover. Local TV station KTVQ reported that some employees barricaded themselves in buildings and storage closets. A Texas woman named Channing Bartlee said her daughter, who works in Yellowstone, texted her an emergency message from her dorm room at 8:36 A.M. local time. Bartlee relayed her daughter’s experience to the Jackson Hole News and Guide: she had watched rangers exchange gunfire with the suspect outside her window, and saw a ranger receive a gunshot wound in his leg. She had barricaded herself in her room with a mattress.

After the shooting, officials with NPS and law enforcement swarmed the area, closing Canyon Village and evacuating guests. Later in the day, Xanterra Travel Collection, the company that operates Canyon Lodge, alerted guests that the hotel and campground had been closed until Monday, July 8. The service station and general store reopened Friday evening.

“We know this is an extreme inconvenience, and we are very sorry,” read the closure notice.

Have Authorities Identified a Suspect?

On Sunday, July 7, the Jackson Hole News & Guide and Cowboy State Daily identified the alleged shooter as 28-year-old Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner. Both outlets confirmed his identify with the Park County Coroner, who said Fussner died of gunshot wounds.

According to the sites, Fussner was employed by Xanterra Travel Collection as a contract employee inside the park. Cowboy State Daily said Fussner’s Facebook page included a photo of his Yellowstone Xanterra identification card, which said his employee agreement with the company ran through September 15.

The Facebook page NPS Ranger News published the audio of a Be On the Look Out (BOLO) alert for Fussner that was sent by Yellowstone rangers prior to the shootout. According to the announcement, Fussner had allegedly taken a woman hostage at gunpoint and then “threatened suicide by cop.”

The alert said that Fussner had also allegedly threatened to “shoot up a fireworks show” in West Yellowstone or Montana. The short alert said Fussner was last seen fleeing the park in a Nissan Rogue with Florida license plates. According to Jackson Hole News & Guide, the audio was uploaded by a retired NPS ranger named Greg Jackson, who heard it on his own scanner. Jackson told the newspaper that the alert went out at approximately 2 A.M. on Thursday, July 4.

Where Did the Shooting Take Place?

On July 4, the Facebook page NPS Ranger News published photos of heavily armed officials patrolling the Bison employee housing unit within Canyon Village. The photos were taken after the shooting, the caption said.

Canyon Village is a sprawling complex in the heart of the park located 35 miles from the northernmost entrance. It comprises a visitor center, restaurant, general store, and multiple parking lots. It’s adjacent to the popular Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a 20-mile gorge created by the Yellowstone river, and is the jumping-off point to reach the picturesque Lower Falls, the 300-foot waterfall that’s one of the most-photographed attractions in the park.

Canyon Village is also the largest lodging property within the park, and its centerpiece is Canyon Lodge and Cabins, which has 400 hotel rooms and 100 cabins for guests. Across the Canyon Rim Trail is the Canyon campground. There’s also employee housing in the complex for workers employed by Xanterra and Delaware North—the two concessionaires that staff Yellowstone.

Can You Bring a Gun to a National Park?

On Facebook posts for news outlets covering the shooting, I read multiple commenters asking if it’s legal to bring a gun to Yellowstone. Technically, yes, you can. There’s murky legislation overseeing the use of guns in National Parks. In 2010, congress enacted a law allowing visitors to bring loaded guns into National Park System sites if the state in which the park is located permits weapons. Yellowstone sits on land overseen by Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, and all three states allow individuals over 18 to possess concealed firearms.

But federal law still prohibits guests from actually shooting firearms in national parks. Hunting is illegal, and target practice is also banned. Guns are also forbidden inside NPS buildings and facilities—this includes lodges, visitor centers, and any structure with a public entrance.