Body camera footage from the shooting on July 4, 2024 inside Yellowstone National Park has been released.
The officer-involved shooting by an employee who worked for Xanterra Travel Collection in the park, shows park rangers running toward the gunman while multiple rounds can be heard being shot off in the living quarters of Canyon Village.
The release from Yellowstone National Park officials says the video is intended to help community members gain a better understanding of what happened during the incident and is part of the National Park Service’s established protocol regarding officer-involved shootings.
28-year-old Samson Fussner was engaged by five rangers who ultimately killed the seasonal employee from Florida after he went on a shooting spree around a dining hall.
Officials also said that park rangers were searching for Fussner after a security guard called 911 and related that the shooter took a woman hostage and mentioned he wanted to commit a mass shooting outside the park.
After searching for him during the night, rangers found the shooter’s car and a pistol and were patrolling and guarding the area between employee dorms and the Canyon Village visitor amenities.
Fussner had earlier threatened to shoot up the dining hall, according to a recording of a 911 call made to police and released by Yellowstone, according to WyoFile. He was also accused of showing up at another employee’s residence armed with a pistol and knife.
After looking for the shooter in the early hours of July 4th, the report states, “At 8:05 a.m. Fussner emerged from the woods with a semi-automatic rifle and encountered an NPS law enforcement officer near the Canyon Lodge.” The shooter shot first at “Officer Three” so named because that ranger was the third to fire at Fussner.
That set off the gunfight that ultimately killed Fussner.
The release also states, “All information in the community briefing video is based on the details currently available. Some images and audio in this video have been altered or concealed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.”
According to the release, the incident is still under investigation. The investigation includes the actions taken by NPS law enforcement officers and is being led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
