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Benjamin Colton Barnes 'found dead' in Mount Rainer park | Benjamin Colton Barnes 'found dead' in Mount Rainer park |
(40 minutes later) | |
Police officials believe they have found the Iraq war veteran wanted in connection with the killing of a park ranger in Washington state. | Police officials believe they have found the Iraq war veteran wanted in connection with the killing of a park ranger in Washington state. |
Officials have scoured Mount Rainer National Park for the suspected gunman, Benjamin Colton Barnes. | Officials have scoured Mount Rainer National Park for the suspected gunman, Benjamin Colton Barnes. |
The park has been closed since Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot dead while trying to stop a vehicle on Sunday morning. | The park has been closed since Margaret Anderson, 34, was shot dead while trying to stop a vehicle on Sunday morning. |
Barnes, 24, had also been linked to an earlier shooting at a New Year's party. | Barnes, 24, had also been linked to an earlier shooting at a New Year's party. |
A body believed to be his was found face down in the snow, but its identity has not been confirmed. | A body believed to be his was found face down in the snow, but its identity has not been confirmed. |
He apparently died from walking through chest-deep snow while trying to elude police, according to Washington State Patrol spokesman Guy Gill. | He apparently died from walking through chest-deep snow while trying to elude police, according to Washington State Patrol spokesman Guy Gill. |
He is reported to have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. | He is reported to have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. |
Police said they had recovered his vehicle, which had weapons, body armour and survivalist gear inside. | Police said they had recovered his vehicle, which had weapons, body armour and survivalist gear inside. |
'Argument over weapon' | |
The gunman sped past a park checkpoint that was monitoring if vehicles had tyre chains, sometimes required in snowy conditions. | |
As one ranger gave chase, mother-of-two Mrs Anderson blocked the road with her vehicle to stop the driver. | |
Both of them were fired on, but only Mrs Anderson, who was married to another ranger, was hit. | |
Response teams could not reach the wounded officer for nearly an hour-and-a-half because the gunman continued to shoot, the Seattle Times newspaper quotes officials as saying. | |
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, two critically. | |
Witnesses said a number of revellers at the gathering had been armed and that gunfire broke out following an argument over a weapon. | |
The national park shooting happened as hikers and climbers enjoyed the wooded trails and views of the 14,410 ft (4,392m) Mount Rainier on an unseasonably mild New Year's holiday. | |
The park was immediately closed, and about 125 visitors were moved into a visitors' centre before being evacuated under cover of darkness on Monday morning. | |
'Angry and depressed' | |
An aircraft fitted with heat-sensing technology helped to search for the suspect from the air, while 150 officers combed the park's grounds. | |
Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said earlier the 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 had made it harder to follow his tracks. | |
The gunman is said to have been 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 got easily irritated, angry and depressed, she added, and kept 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 remained closed on Monday while the search continues through its 368 sq miles (953 sq km) of terrain. |