Manhunt after ranger killed in national park

[philw]

A MANHUNT is under way for a former Iraq war veteran who gunned down a mother-of-two park ranger and shot four others in a separate incident.
Margaret Anderson, 34, who was married to another park ranger, was gunned down on New Year's Day after setting up a roadblock to stop a driver who had failed to pull over when flagged by other rangers in Mount Rainier National Park.
The gunman, named last night as Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire with a shotgun.
It took authorities nearly 90 minutes to get to Mrs Anderson because Barnes continued to fire an assault rifle at SWAT team officers as they tried to assist her.
Barnes fled on foot into the wilderness where officers were tracking him through the snow. Police found weapons, body armour and survivalist gear in his vehicle.
He was already wanted for the shooting of four people about eight hours earlier at a party where police said an early-morning session of "show and tell" with guns among several armed partygoers ended with a shoot-out.
Witnesses told the police Barnes was asked to leave the party earlier in the night before returning and opening fire.
Barnes is reported to be a former soldier with previous run-ins with the law. He allegedly shot Anderson with a high-powered assault rifle before fleeing into the wilderness on foot around 6.11pm (AEDT) local time.
Nighttime temperatures below -1C were expected as law enforcement officers search the expansive 953 square-kilometre national park in Washington state, south of Seattle.
A car with weapons, body armour, and survivalist gear was discovered, although it was initially unclear if that car belonged to Barnes.
Law enforcement personnel have flooded the national park, centred on the spectacular snow-capped volcanic Mount Rainier, which is south of Skyway.
Park spokeswoman Lee Taylor told CNN about 85 visitors were being sheltered in the park visitors' centre until it was safe for them to evacuate.
The park, which had only just opened for New Year's Day, was immediately closed after the shooting.
A popular destination for hikers and outdoors enthusiasts, Mount Rainier National Park boasts miles of hiking trails offering spectacular vistas of the 4392-metre peak.


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/ranger-killed-in-us-national-park/story-e6frfkyi-1226235142514#ixzz1iIvbiWz7

not good at all...

[philw]

also click on the link and look at the photos they used 

[TAB]

sucks, I hope they find him, but not right away.  About 4 days from now when all of his 21 digets are heavly frostbit and need to be removed.

[santahog]

also click on the link and look at the photos they used 

Goes to my assertion that the minimum age for service should be 21...
Just my opinion...

[JLawson]

Is anyone familiar with the tattoos that he has?  Do they indicate any group affiliations?

[Sponsor]

[Ichiban]

Is anyone familiar with the tattoos that he has?  Do they indicate any group affiliations?

They don't seem to have any central theme.  Must by part of the "drunken GI" gang.

[fightingquaker13]

sucks, I hope they find him, but not right away.  About 4 days from now when all of his 21 digets are heavly frostbit and need to be removed.

Agreed. "Hey guys he was spotted on FLIR, you want go in and pick up now"?
"Well, we could, but we've have leave this nice warm fire, and the coffee might get cold. Hey Steve, did you bring that new wolf call with you"?
FQ13

[tombogan03884]

http://news.yahoo.com/authorities-body-believed-mt-rainier-shooting-suspect-151747393.html

Authorities Find Body Believed to Be Mt. Rainier Shooting Suspect

The man suspected of killing a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State is believed to have been found dead, according to police.

Authorities located a body face-down in the snow without any identification, but believe it to be Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, the sole suspect in Sunday's shooting, according to a Twitter posting from Washington State Patrol spokesman Guy Gill.

Barnes was being tracked by ground and aerial search crews for the shooting death of 34-year-old ranger Margaret Anderson, who tried to block his path when Barnes sped past a checkpoint in the park Sunday morning. Barnes fired shots at Anderson and another ranger before fleeing into the park's wilderness. The other ranger was not injured.

MORE AT LINK

[JLawson]

And from this report...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/02/police-hunt-gunman-after-mount-rainier-national-park-ranger-shot-and-killed/

"Bill Wade, the outgoing chair of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, said Congress should be regretting its decision to allow loaded weapons in national parks. He called Sunday's fatal shooting a tragedy that could have been prevented. He hopes Congress will reconsider the law that took effect in early 2010, but doubts that will happen in today's political climate."

Typical moronic BS.

[fightingquaker13]

And from this report...

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/02/police-hunt-gunman-after-mount-rainier-national-park-ranger-shot-and-killed/

"Bill Wade, the outgoing chair of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, said Congress should be regretting its decision to allow loaded weapons in national parks. He called Sunday's fatal shooting a tragedy that could have been prevented. He hopes Congress will reconsider the law that took effect in early 2010, but doubts that will happen in today's political climate."

Typical moronic BS.

Makes sense to me. After all the guy had only shot four people previously. If only there had been a no guns allowed sign, the senesless death of that ranger could easily have been prevented.
FQ13