Police: Park ranger shooting was accidental
The same bullet that killed a suicidal woman last Wednesday on the banks of Lake Lanier accidentally struck a park ranger in the stomach, Gwinnett County police have determined
D.P. Wright, a ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers at Lower Buford Dam Park, had approached Qiana Moore’s vehicle to inform her the park was closed. Moore, 34, shot herself, investigators said, and the bullet traveled through the window of her truck and into the ranger’s torso.
“The evidence at the scene supports this theory, including the facts that only one shot was heard, and only one shell casing was located,” Gwinnett police Cpl. Jake Smith said in a statement. Officers also recovered a suicide note at the scene.
Wright, 70, is expected to be discharged from the hospital sometime this week, according to his family.
“Although additional recovery time will be needed at home, he looks forward to returning to the job he loves and particularly interacting and teaching children about water safety,” they said in a statement.
About the Author
A native Atlantan, Boone joined the AJC staff in 2007. He quickly carved out a niche covering crime stories, assuming the public safety beat in 2014. He's covered some of the biggest trials this decade, from Hemy Neuman to Ross Harris to Chip Olsen, the latter of which was featured on Season 7 of the AJC's award-winning "Breakdown" podcast.
