A National Park Service ranger was shot to death as he checked out complaints that a man with a rifle was threatening visitors at a scenic overlook.
A man was taken into custody Sunday after a four-hour search. The suspect was scheduled to appear before a magistrate Monday and be charged, authorities said. They declined to identify him.Ranger Joe Kolodski, 36, a Great Smoky Mountains National Park ranger, was shot on Sunday as he stepped out of his vehicle at the Big Witch Overlook about 60 miles southeast of Knoxville, Tenn. He was killed by a shot to the chest that pierced his protective vest.
Shortly after the shooting, two other park rangers arrived at the scene. The gunman shot out the windshield of one of the ranger's vehicles before fleeing into the woods.
The suspect was arrested after a search by more than 70 park rangers, FBI agents and officers from five North Carolina counties.