(DENVER) —A manhunt entered its second day on Wednesday for a suspect who stabbed a ranger at Staunton State Park in Colorado in what is now believed to be a targeted attack, according to police.
The stabbing unfolded around noon local time in the nearly 4,000-acre park southwest of Denver, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have reason to believe this was a targeted attack and there is no ongoing threat to the community,” the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
A shelter-in-place order for residents near Staunton State Park has been lifted, authorities.
The victim, a seasonal Colorado Parks and Wildlife ranger, was taken by emergency aircraft to a hospital, where he underwent surgery, the sheriff’s office said. The ranger was listed in serious condition on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
The suspect fled on foot after stabbing the ranger.
A motive for the stabbing remains under investigation. The sheriff’s office did not disclose why they believe the stabbing was targeted.
The suspect’s name has not been released.
Aerial footage on Tuesday from Denver ABC affiliate KMGH showed heavily armed officers searching the park.
Due to the ongoing search for the suspect, Staunton State Park was closed on to the public on Tuesday and police evacuated visitors from inside the park, Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials said.
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