The Park County, Wyo. coroner has identified a 28-year-old Milton, Florida man as the person shot and killed in Yellowstone Nat'l Park on July 4.
Samson Lucas Bariah Fussner died after what Coroner Cody Gortmaker describes an 'armed altercation' between Fussner and at least one Yellowstone National Park ranger.
Gortmaker says Fussner was an employee within the park and Wyoming media outlets, including Cowboy State Daily, shared a photo of Fussner's Xanterra employee ID badge.
Xanterra is a private company that operates concessions in several national parks across the country, including Yellowstone and Glacier.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the shooting that happened early morning on Fourth of July, while park officials say rangers were responding to a call of a person making threats with a firearm at Canyon Village.
According to a press release sent by the Yellowstone National Park public affairs office, rangers arrived at the scene late on Wed. July 3.
The incident continued into the early morning hours of July 4 and when rangers made contact with the suspect, gunfire was exchanged leaving the suspect, now identified as Fussner, dead and a park ranger injured.
The park says the ranger was taken to a nearby hospital and listed in stable condition.
Canyon Village is in the central part of Yellowstone National Park, and has motel rooms, cabins, and more than 200 campsites.
Much of the lodging, shops and food services around Canyon are operated by Xanterra.
Since 2010 federal law allows for carrying firearms in national parks. However firearms are not allowed in any National Park Service facilities, which include most buildings within the park.
Although firearms are allowed in the park, discharging a weapon is illegal . This allowance of firearms without allowance for use is to facilitate town-to-town travel through the park for legal owners of firearms.
