Shooting in Yellowstone National Park: Shooter dies, ranger injured

A shootout on Independence Day resulted in the death of a gunman and the wounding of a ranger in Canyon Village in the central part of Yellowstone National Park.

The incident occurred late Wednesday evening and into Thursday morning, the National Parks Service said in a press release.

“Rangers responded to a report of an individual with a firearm making threats,” the statement said. “When rangers contacted the individual, an exchange of gunfire occurred between the individual and law enforcement rangers.”

Park officials confirmed the death of the unidentified suspect, while the wounded ranger was being treated at a Wyoming hospital and is said to be in stable condition.

It is unclear what led to the gun battle. The FBI is investigating the incident with assistance from NPS agents.

While the investigation is ongoing, park rangers have cordoned off the area where the shooting occurred, but said there is “no active threat to the public.”

The Canyon Village complex includes facilities such as the Canyon Visitor Education Center and “modernized” lodging that were part of a national park revitalization initiative known as Mission 66 in the 1950s.