Hikers near California’s Yosemite National Park were sent scrambling after feeling and hearing bullets pass overhead, prompting concerns over an active shooter.
Multiple hikers called emergency services amidst gunfire around 1:50 P.M. on September 26. Dispatchers said they heard shots being fired while on the phone with at least one caller, reported the Mono County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responding to the area of Parker Lake Trail in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, just outside of Yosemite National Park, feared an active shooter and immediately moved toward the sound of shots.
Three people were found target shooting north of the trail. When deputies arrived, they complied with the officers and stopped their shooting.
Several hikers on the trail said “they heard multiple gunshots and could feel and hear bullets passing overhead.”
“They hunkered down behind rocks and trees until the shooting stopped. While no injuries were reported, they were definitely in harm’s way and justifiably frightened,” said the Mono County Sheriff’s Office in a Facebook post.
The three alleged shooters, from Southern California, were arrested and booked into Mono County Jail for initial felony charges of Willful Discharge of a Firearm in a Grossly Negligent Manner.
Outside contacted the sheriff’s department for an update on the investigation and will update this article accordingly.
Parker Lake Trail is considered a moderate, 3.6-mile trail in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, which spans more than 230,000 acres across California’s Inyo National Forest and the Sierra National Forest. The trailhead is roughly a 30-minute drive from the east Tioga Pass Entrance Station in Yosemite.
Shooting is permitted in U.S. Forest Service areas, but is prohibited in any place where a person may be injured.
The post Hikers Fear Active Shooter After Hearing, Feeling Bullets Pass Overhead appeared first on Outside Online.
