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Violent Deaths in the National Parks

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With the latest debate over whether the National Park Service should allow visitors to carry live weapons in the national park system, much has been made over whether parks are safe. While even one murder is too many, the crime statistics for a park system that last year attracted some 277 million visitors would seem to indicate parks are relatively safe havens from violent crime.

During 2006, when 273 million visitors toured the parks, 11 deaths were investigated across the system. Two involved women who had been pushed off cliffs (one at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and one at Lake Mead National Recreation Area), one was a suicide (at Golden Gate National Recreation Area), and one was the victim of a DUI accident (in Yellowstone National Park).

National Park Service records also show that one of the 11 deaths, reported in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, involved a stabbing that was spawned by an alcohol-fueled altercation. Great Smoky also was the setting of a fatal shooting of another woman with three others arrested for the crime.

The suicide at Golden Gate involved a man who "began shooting at hang gliders. He did not hit any of the hang gliders, but then he shot a stranger. Then he turned the gun on himself."

At the Blue Ridge Parkway, a woman parked at an overlook and wearing headphones while studying for final exams "was killed by a handgun by a suspect on a killing spree," the Park Service said. In another case involving the parkway, the body of an individual shot and killed outside the parkway was dumped there.

At Amistad National Recreation Area, a woman was found floating in a reservoir in about 5 feet of water. "She appeared to have blunt force trauma to the head and was possibly stabbed," the agency said.

The last two murders were reported in Washington, D.C., area park units. In one case a victim died from a gunshot wound to the head, in the other U.S. Park Police found a partial human skull, with an apparent gunshot wound, on the shoreline of the Anacostia River, a crime that didn't necessarily occur in the park system.

Most folks, I think, would agree that the suicide, two pushing victims, and the DUI victim couldn't have been prevented if guns were allowed to be carried in the parks. And, of course, there was the victim who was murdered outside the Blue Ridge Parkway. That lowers to six the number of violent deaths investigated in the parks, one of which involved a stabbing in a drunken brawl, an outcome that could have turned out just the same -- or worse-- if either individual was carrying a gun.

During 2006 there also were 320 assaults without weapons, 1,950 weapons offenses, 843 public intoxication cases, and 5,752 liquor law violations. How many of those might have turned deadly were concealed carry allowed in the park system?

I think much of the concern over this move by the National Rifle Association to see visitors allowed to carry loaded weapons does not center on the majority of the "law-abiding" gun owners in the country, but rather around the accidents waiting to happen involving folks who either aren't so law-abiding or so careful.

Comments

Anon, very good points. I was looking at it from an acreage standpoint and not as number of officers. But please do not tell me to find another line of work. Luckily my position mostly involves education. In the 8 years I've been a ranger, I have been the recipient of someone's anger a few times, but never any true violence, even from those that had guns on their person. I was assulted many more times working at Wal-mart. I am a ranger and that is what I always will be.


Ranger Lady
You're right. I apologize. The parks need good rangers.
My point, of course, is that your department has a measurable problem with their officer safety. It's important they and you face the problem head on.
I also stand by the observation that when the officers are not safe it is unlikely the public will be.
Best of luck


I'm female and fortunately, Kurt, you don't make decisions on whether or not I carry concealed.  I agree with Fred.  I like to be prepared in case I'm on of the people who ends up being approached by someone with less than stellar intentions.  The details and locations of "other crimes" tend to be rather immaterial if you suddenly become the person in immediate danger, regardless how rare the risk may have been.  Bad things don't always happen to other people and I like to be prepared.


Rape is rape no matter where its at...


Do you have any idea of the amount of people gone missing in the national park system?  The number will astound you.


I have a gun at home but definitely carry when I'm traveling. I wasn't aware of the numbers of people in the National Parks until recently that go missing in the parks or die under very strange circumstances. See Missing 411 for reference. And as per all your reasons to carry above, when I'm the parks, there's bears and even with a gun your chances of surviving an angry bear attack is still iffy. But it's your only chance of surviving. 


Debra, carry a gun, don't carry one, I don't care, but you are very, very wrong to suggest that having a gun is your only chance of surviving "an angry bear attack". 


As a law abiding citizen, that doesn't belong to the NRA or any other such groups, I love our national parks. I love camping in them. Being the majority of violent crimes that happen in parks are involving women I wouldn't go if I didn't have my gun. I have never been arrested and never felt the need to use my gun but would do so if necessary. I believe in gun control. It's clearly necessary. I do believe that if a person is going to own a firearm there should be at least some type of psychological exam to pass. Being from the southern part of this country I have found individuals that I truly believe don't need to own a gun. I'm almost positive that it's nationwide. Perhaps gun ownership should be looked at from a different perspective than it presenting viewed. I wouldn't have a problem being examined. I also feel that too many guns should be a flag. It's not for me to determine how many is too many but something must be done while allowing those who are responsible to continue to protect themselves. 


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