Man pulls gun on Great Smoky Mountains visitor, fires shots, park service says

GSMNP, Tenn. (WVLT) - The National Park Service is asking for information after it says a man in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park pulled a gun on someone and fired multiple shots.

It happened around 5:40 p.m. on Dec. 22, according to the park service, after two cars — a white SUV and a silver lifted pickup truck with North Carolina plates — crashed into each other.

The park service said a man approached the cars and the white SUV drove away. The driver of the silver truck, however, pulled out a gun and pointed it at the man, the park service said.

“The individual fled from the scene and heard multiple gunshots being fired from the area where the encounter occurred,” the park service said. “Both the SUV and pickup truck, as well as a grey sedan believed to be associated with the group, were seen fleeing the area towards Bryson City, NC.”

The suspect is believed to be a thin man in his late teens or early 20s with a thin mustache and tan skin. He and his group were in the Deep Creek area most of the day of the assault, according to the park service.

Those with information are asked to call the NPS tip line at 888-653-0009 or submit a tip here.