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There was a brief panic Wednesday when a gun accidentally went off inside a men’s bathroom in Old Faithful Lodge.
According to Park spokesperson Charissa Reid, speaking to the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, a maintenance worker reported to Yellowstone law enforcement about the incident.
Premature discharge aside, no one in the bathroom was injured, and officials believe the gun went off by accident, citing statements from multiple witnesses—with at least one present in the bathroom when the shot went off.
According to Park rangers, the gun owner has not been identified. Presumably, he fled the bathroom shortly after the incident.
According to the Chronicle, one witness picked up a shelf casing in the bathroom. Park staff later returned to the bathroom Thursday and recovered a bullet lodged in a wooden ceiling beam.
Per federal regulations, people are allowed to carry guns in Yellowstone National Park, after a ban on possessing guns in national parks was lifted between 2009 and 2010. However, it is still illegal to have guns on your person inside any Yellowstone building, whether operated by the Park Service or by concessionaires.
And, of course, it is still illegal to shoot your gun in Yellowstone.
