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Manhunt in Mount Rainier park after US ranger shot dead Manhunt in Mount Rainier park after US ranger shot dead
(about 7 hours later)
A manhunt is under way for an Iraq war veteran wanted in connection with the murder of a ranger at a national park in Washington state. Police are scouring a national park in Washington state for an Iraq war veteran wanted in connection with the killing of a ranger.
Mount Rainier National Park was closed after ranger Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot dead after she set up a roadblock to try and stop the suspect's vehicle. Mount Rainier National Park was been closed since Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot dead while trying to stop a vehicle on Sunday morning.
The suspect, named locally as Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, is also wanted in connection with an earlier shooting. The suspected gunman, Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, has also been linked to an earlier shooting at a New Year's party.
Mr Barnes is reported to be an Iraq war veteran with survivalist skills. The US Marine is reported to have post-traumatic stress disorder.
Police said they had recovered his vehicle, which had weapons and body armour inside. Police said they had recovered his vehicle, which had weapons, body armour and survivalist gear inside.
The shooting happened as hikers and climbers flocked to enjoy the park's wooded trails and spectacular views of the 14,410 ft (4,392m) Mount Rainier on an unseasonably mild New Year's holiday. The gunman sped past a park checkpoint that was monitoring if vehicles had tyre chains, sometimes required in snowy conditions.
The park was immediately closed after the shooting, and around 85 visitors and 15 park staff were moved into a visitors' centre to wait for police to give them the all-clear to leave. 'Argument over weapon'
'Huge tragedy' Mother-of-two Mrs Anderson, who was married to another ranger, blocked the road with her vehicle to stop the driver.
Police said Mr Barnes was wanted for questioning over an early-morning shooting at a New Year's party in Skyway, just south of Seattle, which left four people injured. Both rangers were fired on, but only Mrs Anderson was hit.
The King County Sheriff's Office quoted witnesses as saying multiple people at the party were armed and a shoot-out had erupted following an argument over a weapon. Response teams could not reach the wounded officer for nearly an hour-and-a-half because the gunman continued to fire, href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017143010_ranger02m.html" >the Seattle Times newspaper quotes officials as saying.
Mrs Anderson and a fellow ranger set up a roadblock after the suspect failed to stop at a tyre-assessment checkpoint at around 18:20 GMT on Sunday, a spokesman for the national park said. Police said Mr Barnes was already wanted for questioning over an early-morning shooting at a party in Skyway, just south of Seattle, which left four people injured.
Both rangers were fired on, but only Mrs Anderson - a mother of two young daughters and married to another of the park's rangers - was hit. Witnesses said a number of revellers at the gathering had been armed and gunfire broke out following an argument over a weapon.
"It's just a huge tragedy - for the family, the park and the park service," park superintendent Randy King said. The national park shooting happened as hikers and climbers enjoyed the park's wooded trails and views of the 14,410 ft (4,392m) Mount Rainier on an unseasonably mild New Year's holiday.
The park will remain closed on Monday while the search continues through its 368 sq miles of terrain. The park was immediately closed, and about 125 visitors were moved into a visitors' centre before being evacuated from the park under cover of darkness on Monday morning.
One visitor, Dinh Jackson of Olympia, Washington, told the Associated Press news agency that officials had ordered everyone to kneel and place their hands behind their heads as they searched the crowd to check the suspect was not among them.
"That was scary for the kids," Ms Jackson said.
'Angry and depressed'
An aircraft fitted with heat-sensing technology has been deployed to help search for the suspect from the air, while 150 officers combed the park's grounds.
Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said the ongoing search was "a very hot and dangerous situation" with teams of tactical responders pursuing the gunman's tracks in the snow.
Mr Troyer added that the gunman had run through creeks, which made it harder to follow his tracks.
The gunman is said to have been suicidal and was possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder following his deployments to Iraq in 2007-08, according to an affidavit submitted by the mother of his child.
She sought a temporary restraining order against Mr Barnes during a custody dispute in July 2011.
Mr Barnes gets easily irritated, angry and depressed, she added, saying he keeps a variety of weapons in his home.
Park superintendent Randy King said of Mrs Anderson's death: "It's just a huge tragedy - for the family, the park and the park service."
The park will remain closed on Monday while the search continues through its 368 sq miles (953 sq km) of terrain.