On Sunday, July 7 at approximately 5:45 pm National Park Service Rangers investigated a tent near the railroad tracks by the depot in Denali National Park and Preserve. As rangers approached the tent, a white male was briefly visible through the tent screen before a single gunshot was heard. The subject did not respond to verbal calls and was not visible to rangers when the gun fired.
Additional law enforcement resources were requested since it was unclear who the subject shot at. With assistance from Alaska State Troopers, the NPS Investigative Services Branch, and negotiation services from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a perimeter was set up to approach the tent with an Alaska State Troopers' armored vehicle. At 9:46 pm the subject was reached and found deceased. It was determined that he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The investigation is ongoing. The name of the subject will be released pending notification of next of kin. Park operations that were impacted during the incident included the delay of the Alaska Railroad to the Denali Depot to ensure the safety of crew and passengers.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
