Ranger Killed, Another Hurt by Gunman in Oregon Park

An unarmed ranger was killed and another shot in the face Tuesday by a gunman who fled a rugged coastal park in the slain ranger’s truck and led police on a high-speed chase.

Larry G. Cole, a 52-year-old man with a mustache, glasses and a camouflage jacket, was arrested a half-hour later when the truck skidded to a stop in a gravel pit as he tried to avoid a police roadblock.

A motive was not immediately known for the shooting, believed to be the first time in Oregon history that a park ranger has been killed in the line of duty.

Police say the gunman confronted the rangers about 8 a.m. Tuesday at Oswald West State Park as one cleaned the bathroom and the other did outside maintenance. The gunman emerged from the restroom with one of the rangers and forced both to walk up the trail, where he later shot them.

The body of 50-year-old ranger Danny Blumenthal was found about a quarter of a mile up a dirt trail leading to the beach, police said.

The second ranger, 51-year-old John “Jack” Kerwin, was shot twice in the jaw and was hospitalized in stable condition. Police said Kerwin was able to hike out of the park and flag down a motorist, who drove him to a nearby fire station for treatment.

“He’s doing remarkably well,” said Claudia Brown, spokeswoman for Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. “He can consider himself a very lucky man.”

Kerwin told paramedics that he was approached by a camper holding a .22-caliber handgun who shot him twice.

“He fell to the ground and played dead after he was shot,” said Shelly Solum, a spokeswoman for the Medix ambulance service.

The gunman left in Blumenthal’s beige 1992 Ford Ranger pickup. Descriptions provided by Kerwin of the truck and the suspect helped lead to Cole’s quick capture, said State Police spokesman Gregg Hastings.

The park is located along U.S. Highway 101, 65 miles west of Portland and 10 miles south of Cannon Beach. Popular with surfers, the park features spectacular views overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The campground is accessible only by foot on a trail one-third of a mile from the parking area along the highway.