Tragedy in the mountains: park ranger killed in Washington

[MillCreek]

http://today.seattletimes.com/2012/01/park-ranger-shot-at-mount-rainier/

This is a developing story: a 34 year old ranger at Mt. Rainier National Park was killed at a roadblock in the park.  The suspect is on foot and carrying a rifle.  The ranger set up a roadblock after the suspect's car failed to pull over for a traffic stop.

[gunsmith]

I would think that she had the upper hand, she could have positioned herself behind the engine block, wouldn't a Ranger also have a long gun?

Maybe he faked her out by acting like a lost/drunk tourist or something.

This could be that guy from Montana, iirc some militia guy got away from the cops up there or maybe its this guy http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=28041.msg548566;topicseen#msg548566
they never caught him either.

Condolences to family and friends of the Ranger, its not an LE job that you would expect to have to be all tactical & militaristic 

[Hawkmoon]

I had heard a ranger was shot, but I didn't know it was a woman and I didn't know it was fatal.

I hope they get the guy.

[Boomhauer]

wouldn't a Ranger also have a long gun

Not necessarily. Sometimes they are issued a long gun, sometimes not.  Sometimes idiot administrators hamstring the officers vs. using common sense.

its not an LE job that you would expect to have to be all tactical & militaristic 

Crazy people tend to come to parks. I don't know why.

NPS LE certified rangers are sent through a standardized 9 week Federal LE course at FLETC, so they are just like regular LEOs.

[MillCreek]

The ranger is survived by two young daughters and her husband,  another ranger assigned to the Park.

PS: The suspect apparently has been identified,  has an assault rifle, and local media is pointing out that firearms in the Park were illegal prior to 2010.

[MillCreek]

The suspects is a 24 year old white male with a buzzcut on his driver's license photo and had additional weapons,  body armor and camping equipment in his car.  It took 90 minutes to recover the body since the suspect was continuing to shoot at responding vehicles and rangers.

[MillCreek]

They are now showing booking photos of the suspect in an orange jumpsuit, so he must have a record.

[Jamie B]

The suspects is a 24 year old white male with a buzzcut on his driver's license photo and had additional weapons,  body armor and camping equipment in his car.  It took 90 minutes to recover the body since the suspect was continuing to shoot at responding vehicles and rangers.

The little *expletive deleted*it can't be carrying that much ammo......

[Jim147]

All the rangers I have met in this area carry a 10/22 for a long gun. It is just to dispatch rabid animals near people.

I'd want plenty of backup to set up a roadblock on an unknown foe. Or maybe she knew who it was from the shooting report and just gave it her all.

In either case she has my respect.

My thoughts go out to her family.

jim

[wmenorr67]

Napalm the AO

[MillCreek]

The suspect is an Army veteran, with one deployment to Iraq in 2007-8.  According to his wife, who filed for a protective order, he is suffering from PTSD, has an arsenal of guns and has threatened suicide.  He is also a suspect in the shooting of four people in south Seattle seven hours prior to shooting the ranger.  

This all started when the suspect blew past a checkpoint to check that you have tire chains for the snowy roads.  Ms. Anderson, one of the Park's 15 LEO rangers, set up a roadblock and was shot through the windshield with a shotgun before she had exited her vehicle.  The suspect then fled on foot and was firing at backup vehicles responding to the scene.  

PS: Here is a photo of the suspect published in this morning's Seattle Times:

[Jamisjockey]

The ranger is survived by two young daughters and her husband,  another ranger assigned to the Park.

PS: The suspect apparently has been identified,  has an assault rifle, and local media is pointing out that firearms in the Park were illegal prior to 2010.

Because that would have stopped him.

Stop! No guns allowed!
Oh, okay....I'll go on my killing spree some where they're allowed.

 

[Tallpine]

local media is pointing out that firearms in the Park were illegal prior to 2010.

Now we need to make killing rangers illegal 

[Ben]

Because that would have stopped him.

Stop! No guns allowed!
Oh, okay....I'll go on my killing spree some where they're allowed.

 

Typical sloppy reporting. In fact, guns were NOT illegal prior to 2010. One was always able to transport firearms that were unloaded and in a case through most National Parks. I've done so when cutting through Yosemite to get to my fishing spots in the Eastern Sierra for the last ten years.

The 2010 law was of course mostly about CCW. From what I've seen, the ranger was killed with a shotgun. By, as Jamis points out, someone who would likely not be obeying any laws anyway -- especially if it turns out he was on the run for the Seattle shootings.

[wmenorr67]

Going to be interest to hear the rest of the story on this.  Pictures of him show lots of gang tattoos which in of itself isn't a problem being in the military but if he was an active gang member then that is a whole other issue.

[MillCreek]

This just in: the suspect has been found dead.  No word yet on the circumstances of his death except to say that his body was found in a ditch not far from the site of the ranger shooting.  It is not yet known if he died of exposure, suicide or by LEO, but there have been no reports of encounters or firefights with the suspect.  I am thinking it was probably suicide.

[wmenorr67]

This just in: the suspect has been found dead.  No word yet on the circumstances of his death except to say that his body was found in a ditch not far from the site of the ranger shooting.  It is not yet known if he died of exposure, suicide or by LEO, but there have been no reports of encounters or firefights with the suspect.  I am thinking it was probably suicide.

If this fact is true, good.  Just saved the tax payers the cost of housing him til fried.

[Jamie B]

If this fact is true, good.  Just saved the tax payers the cost of housing him til fried.

This is true.

Sadly, he was a murderer, and gave guns and veterans a bad name.

Why don't these suicidal douchebags just kill them selves, as opposed to taking other innocent's lives.

[wmenorr67]

This is true.

Sadly, he was a murderer, and gave guns and veterans a bad name.

Why don't these suicidal douchebags just kill them selves, as opposed to taking other innocent's lives.

Actually the elements may have got him.  Either way good riddance.

[Jamie B]

Actually the elements may have got him.  Either way good riddance.

http://news.yahoo.com/rainier-gunmans-body-might-found-191441433.html

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. (AP) — The body of an Iraq war veteran suspected in the slaying of a Mount Rainier National Park ranger was believed to have been found in chest-deep snow on Monday, authorities said.

I hope that the POS froze to death - it will be the last coolness that he ever felt, burning in Hell and all......

[French G.]

Well, fondly remember that one year you could carry in a park. That and the fact that every Saiga 12 in this country just got $100 more expensive as the ban-o-meter ticked up.

[Tallpine]

This just in: the suspect has been found dead.  No word yet on the circumstances of his death except to say that his body was found in a ditch not far from the site of the ranger shooting.  It is not yet known if he died of exposure, suicide or by LEO, but there have been no reports of encounters or firefights with the suspect.  I am thinking it was probably suicide.

Very similar to an incident where the Hinsdale CO county sheriff was killed after setting up a road block to try to stop a couple of bank robbers.  This was back around 1994 or 1995 ?

Only difference is that they never found the pair dead until spring.

It was way up on a high mountain pass, but not in a national park.

One could probably find something about that tragedy online ....

[French G.]

From a BBC article:

Police said they had recovered his vehicle, which had weapons, body armour and survivalist gear inside.

Well, if they recover my vehicle they might would find 2 of the 3, assuming I did not have the good sense to take them with me. I love how every sorry bastard is an excuse to paint us all.

Let me write the article. Sick F&** who shot a lady for no good reason finally stopped wasting our oxygen by succumbing to the elements. We the editors can only hope it hurt. Ha Ha, the end.

[MicroBalrog]

Well, fondly remember that one year you could carry in a park. That and the fact that every Saiga 12 in this country just got $100 more expensive as the ban-o-meter ticked up.

A good time to buy IzhMash stock?

[French G.]

No, the ATF can ban import of them by decree, then the only value is to people that already have guns here.