Park ranger killed by gunman in national park

Benjamin Colton Barnes, a person of interest in the Jan. 1, 2012, fatal shooting of a park ranger at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state, is shown in this undated photo provided by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. / AP Photo/Pierce County Sheriff's Department

Updated at 12:53 a.m. ET Jan. 2

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. - A Mount Rainier National Park ranger was fatally shot following a New Year's Day traffic stop, and the 368-square-mile park in Washington state was closed as dozens of officers searched for the armed gunman over snowy and rugged terrain.

Park Ranger Margaret Anderson

/ AP Photo/Mount Rainier National Park

Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said late Sunday afternoon Benjamin Colton Barnes, a 24-year-old believed to have survivalist skills, was a "strong person of interest" in the slaying of Margaret Anderson. A parks spokesman said Barnes was an Iraq war veteran. Authorities recovered his vehicle, which had weapons and body armor inside, Troyer said.

Barnes was also a suspect in the early Sunday morning shooting of four people at a house party south of Seattle, police said.

Authorities believed the gunman was still in the woods, with weapons. They asked people to stay away from the park, and for those already inside to leave.

"We do have a very hot and dangerous situation," Troyer said.

Troyer said authorities were following tracks in the snow they believe are from the gunman, and crews planned to bring an airplane through the area with heat-seeking capabilities.

"We believe we have a good track on him, but he's way ahead of us," Troyer said.

Kevin Bacher, a spokesman for the park, said about 125 people would spend Sunday night in the visitor center basement along with five law enforcement officers protecting the facility. He said crews had considered removing them in armored vehicles, but decided not to take any risk. There was enough food at the center, but Bacher said diapers were running in short supply.

The park would remain closed Monday, officials announced late Sunday.

Jason Simpson, 29, of Kent, said his parents were still trapped at the visitor's center after traveling to the mountain for a day hike. His parents were able to make a call explaining their situation, and Simpson drove to the park entrance to wait.

"It's very distressing," Simpson said.

Sgt. Cindi West, King County Sheriff's spokesperson, said late Sunday that Barnes was connected to an early-morning shooting at a New Year's house party in Skyway, Wash., south of Seattle that left four people injured, two critically. That incident happened about 3 a.m., and stemmed from an argument over a gun.

West said three people fled the scene. Two were located, and West said authorities were trying to find Barnes and had been in contact with his family, trying to have them convince him to "come to the police and tell his side of the story" in the Skyway shooting.

At Mount Rainier around 10:20 a.m. Sunday, Bacher said the gunman had sped past a checkpoint. One ranger began following him while Anderson eventually blocked the road to stop the driver.

Before fleeing, the gunman fired shots at both Anderson and the ranger that trailed him, but only Anderson was hit, Bacher said.

It was possible that searchers may wait until morning to continue the effort.

"We do not know what resources the shooter has. We're not sure what we're up against," Bacher said. "We know that he has a weapon, but we don't know how many."

About 150 officers, including officials from the Washington State Patrol, U.S. Forest Service and FBI, were on the mountain.

Authorities said earlier that Anderson's body had been removed from the park, but Troyer said police have been unable to get to her because of concern over potentially being in the line of fire.

An FBI SWAT team was working to remove her body from the mountain Sunday night.

Park superintendent Randy King said Anderson is a mother of two young daughters who has served as a park ranger for about four years. King said Anderson's husband also was working as a ranger elsewhere in the park at the time of the shooting.

"It's just a huge tragedy — for the family, the park and the park service," he said.

Adam Norton, a neighbor of Anderson's in the small town of Eatonville, Wash., said the ranger's family moved in about a year ago. He said they were not around much, but when they were Norton would see Anderson outside with her girls.

"They just seemed like the perfect family," he said.

The town of about 3,000 residents, which is a logging community overlooking Mount Rainier, is very close knit, he said.

"It's really sad right now," Norton said. "We take care of each other."

It has been legal for people to take loaded firearms into Mount Rainier since 2010, when a controversial federal law went into effect that made possession of firearms in national parks subject to state gun laws.

The shooting occurred on an unseasonably sunny and mild day. The park, which offers miles of wooded trails and spectacular vistas from which to see 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, draws between 1.5 million and 2 million visitors each year.

The Longmire station served as headquarters when the national park was established in 1899. Park headquarters have moved but the site still contains a museum, a hotel, restaurant and gift shop, which are open year-round.

[JenYankee]

As the daughter of the only other NW Park Ranger ever murdered while on duty. I would like to send my condolences to the family of Ranger Margaret Anderson. It will take years to heal, each of you will do it in your own time and your own ways. Her memory will be sorrowful at times, but there will come a time when the horror of this act will not be the first thing you think of when you remember her. After the media coverage has come and gone, the case closed, and the sentence passed. The spotlight will fade and you will be able to begin to put the pieces back together, they will never fit the same way, but you will remember the joy and happiness again. I don't know how old her daughters are it just says "young" I hope they have some extrodinarily generous people in thier lives to support them through this. Good luck and best wishes to your family. I know you are hurting in a way you never thought possible and I know that nothing seems able to ease this kind of grief. My brother and I found solice in eachother, as will you. ((hugs)) from the Blumenthal Children.

[mari1963]

This is just so sad. I hope when they find this sorry excuse of a human being that he is put away for a long time. I hate guns and those who use them. Sad.

[nansea5]

More white trash in the news.

[elderoak]

Another GOP gift. I do recall recently how the GOP pushed a rider through on an unrelated Bill President Obama had NO CHOICE but to sign, allowing anyone to carry loaded firearms into our National State Parks. We the People had no choice on the matter either. Teddy Roosevelt, who gave us these State Parks, demanded loaded guns NEVER be carried into National State Parks. Teddy Roosevelt must have been the last good Republican who would not hoodwink the public and make it unsafe for them.

[Jdberger]

Totally agree. If the Repubs hadn't pushed the guns in parks bill through, the gunman would have probably unloaded his guns before speeding into the park. He probably only kept them loaded because hekew he wouldn't be breaking the law.

That's why all banks should have prominent signs declaring "NO GUNS"! Imagine how many armed robberies it will stop.

[HowardW56]

Do you think that an individual wanted in connection with the shooting of 4 individuals (outside the park) would have been concerned with a ban on firearms in the park? He didn't hesitate to shoot that Ranger. He is a dangerous survivalist nut on the run... Maybe he will do the world a favor and shoot himself before he has a chance to injure or kill someone else. The Sheriff's department provided that photo of him, don't you find it interesting that they would have that specific photo. He is a survivalist nut that they were apparently aware of...

[zadok426]

I have already come
http://youtu.be/zXKV78VERio

[riptide213]

Condolences to this fallen law enforcement officer's family, friends, and colleagues.

DoD and VA have made improvements, but progressive health care and unremitting support of those who served must continue to be a perpetual national priority.

No more out of sight out of mind veils of secrecy.

Sadly root causes of this suspect's inexcusable, heinous action will eventually linked directly to failure of DoD or VA to promptly acknowledge, accurately diagnosis, effectively treat, or appreciably mange care active service or post service healing of another Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Acute Stress Disorder impacted veteran who in most likelihood was negatively impacted or aggravated during All Volunteer Force obligations to our country.

Perhaps more symbolic than coincidental this tragic incident occurred only a few miles from Joint Base Lewis McChord that had a record number of suicides in 2011 than any previous year.

Regrettably an intangible price of war, conflict, or military operations to subjectively secure a free nation is mangled lives of veterans and collateral damage victims within our not so tranquil society.

[longtree-2009]

the suspect is an iraq war veteran. how many of those returning combat veterans pose a danger to mainstream society is the question.

[brett515]

This is a tragedy. All of the politically-motivated speculation pro or against gun carrying is disrespectful to the Ranger and her family, just as it is disrespectful to throw hundreds of thousands of veterans under the bus for doing a job that protects your freedom. Lets show some decorum, shall we?

[berlinfoto-2009]

The affordable firearm, freed the majority of us humans from slavery, serfdom, or servitude.
The RFID Implanted Microchip will enslave all of us in the near future, with or with out our firearms.

[easmachine]

Comments like these are not facts they are just written as if they are with no basis in reality. Who did the affordable firearm free "the majority of humanity" from and how many innocents died from affordable firearms. I could just as easily say it probably enslaved many more than it freed and continues to do so everywhere there are people out of touch with humanity but with easy access to choppers. But that would just be an opinion.

I know I know. This is all part of Obama's plan to take all your guns, right?

[robertey]

easmachine:

Ever heard of a little skirmish called the Revolutionary War? True, it's a nice touch that an armed conflict involving slave owners who wanted to be free is a bit of a brain fart, but guns have been a deciding factor, for good and bad, in many countries over the centuries of their existence.

[occupy_cbs]

RaySlapper: "Responsible gun owners make up the back bone of this country. Grow up and act like an adult."



That statement is pure ludicrous NRA propaganda, and a complete attack on millions of Americans that have no need for firearms. It is YOU that needs to grow up and act like a responsible adult.

[rheola-2009]

Ray Slapper.

Over the years I have refrained from resorting to abuse on these boards, however tonight I am going to make an exception.

You are so obviously a complete fool. so blind that you cannot see.

Compare the gun death rate, for example, with that of Australia.

Allowing for the difference in population the rate of gun deaths in America is 357 times that of Australia.

So no matter what garbage you spew.

GUN CONTROL LAWS DO WORK.

Of course Australia does still have a criminal element who use guns, generally on their own type.

Australians do not have to fear being shot by any whacko who wishes to buy his little killing machine, or who may lose his temper and grab what is so easy to carry out his killing, A GUN.

WAKE UP TO YOURSELF YOU FOOL.

[smittyc]

There is almost no diversity in Australia. You can walk just about anywhere except in Muslim neighborhoods in Australia and be safe. Try that in Detroit or any large cities in America. While the killing in this article contradicts the above statement, the other 43 murders a day(average) in the U.S. support a fact that mainstream media refuses to acknowledge. The same is now occurring across Western Europe, the price of diversity is high crime. You simply have to look at South America, or Africa, South Africa keeps tallies and they best us in violence and murder astronomically. In Venezuela, the crime, violence and murder is so bad, it could cost Chavez his reelection. So your last statement back at you YOU ARE THE FOOL.

[rheola-2009]

by smittyc January 2, 2012 1:58 AM EST

You can walk just about anywhere except in Muslim neighborhoods in Australia and be safe. Try that in Detroit or any large cities in America.

Sort of supports my argument does it not.

SO WHO IS THE FOOL.

RaySlapper

A good comparison for America would be Venezuela, Nigeria, Iraq, or any such gun mad society, that is so free, the peoples greatest worry is, that they are likely to be killed by some whacko, freely given the right to bear arms, which is in fact a misconstruance of the second amendment.

I think you could certainly use a few lessons in adult behaviour
you appear to be rather big on childish behaviour.

I wish you all a good night, maybe we shall meet here again at another time.

I shall look forward to such.