This story is part of our Quick Hits series. This series will bring you breaking news and short updates from throughout the state.
Yellowstone National Park has released body camera footage from the 4th of July shooting in Canyon Village. The incident left one officer injured and 28-year-old Samson Lucas Fussner dead.
Fussner was from Florida and worked for Xanterra Parks and Resorts, a private business that operates lodges and campgrounds in the park. Officers were searching for him after a female employee reported to the park’s 911 dispatch center on July 3 that she had been held against her will in a residence at Canyon Village by Fussner, where he threatened to kill her and carry out a mass shooting the following day.
A recording of that 911 call and body camera footage released on Sept. 19 was part of a 20-minute community briefing video created by the National Park Service (NPS). The footage shows five law enforcement officers moving through Canyon Village.
This video of an officer-involved shooting contains graphic content and strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.
Footage shows one officer opening fire at Fussner, another moving to recover his gun and medical professionals treating the wounded officer on the scene. The footage doesn’t show Fussner opening fire at the Canyon Village dining hall, as the park had described in a previous press release.
But gunshots can be heard in the audio from the camera of one officer, who told employees to stay inside as he ran from the dorms to the dining complex. Some officers didn’t have their cameras on during the whole duration of the exchange. The officer who was injured never turned his body camera on.
The FBI and special agents from the NPS are still investigating the incident, including the actions taken by NPS law enforcement officers.
