Margaret A. Anderson, 34, was fatally shot on January 1, 2012, while on duty as a park ranger at Mount Rainier National Park in Pierce County, Washington. Around 10:30 am she set up a traffic block near the Longmire Ranger Station to intercept a vehicle that had failed to stop at a chain-up checkpoint. The vehicle’s driver, identified as Benjamin Colton Barnes, opened fire and Anderson was killed while attempting to stop the fleeing suspect.

A multi-agency manhunt followed, involving the FBI, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, National Park Service rangers and others. K-9 teams, armored vehicles, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were used as Barnes fled on foot into the woods. The park was temporarily closed and visitors evacuated for safety.

On January 2, 2012, aircraft spotted a body near Narada Falls; ground teams confirmed it was Benjamin Colton Barnes. Anderson had served at Mount Rainier for three years and was survived by her husband, Eric, also a park ranger, and their two young children. Does anyone have information about Anderson’s service or the events that morning that could help clarify the timeline?