Springdale Mayor: Man in custody after ‘active shooter situation’ in Rockville

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — Police confirmed a suspect is in the hospital Wednesday evening after multiple exchanges of gunfire with officers and a pursuit that spanned from Hurricane to Rockville near Zion National Park.

According to an emailed statement from Lt. David Crouse with the Washington County Critical Incident Task Force, officers were initially dispatched before 3:45 p.m. to the report of a man who had brandished a handgun during an argument in Hurricane.

Officers located the truck, but it did not stop, and instead, continued along state Route 9 toward Zion National Park as the driver allegedly fired at cars along the way.

At milepost 25, police said they deployed spike sticks in an attempt to disable the truck.

It eventually crashed in Rockville, where investigators said there was another exchange of gunfire before the suspect fled into a neighborhood.

Around 4:30 p.m., officials with the Springdale Police Department posted on social media, saying residents in the town should shelter in place as there was a suspect in the area that was “armed and dangerous.”

Both directions of S.R. 9 were temporarily closed in Rockville while officers attempted to locate the suspect.

Cleared: Both directions of SR-9 in Rockville (near Zion National Park) are open and traffic flow is normal through the area.

— UDOT Traffic (@UDOTTRAFFIC) October 7, 2021

Police did not disclose the precise location of the suspect but stated that he was eventually found at roughly 6:15 p.m., following a large-scale containment involving local, state and federal law enforcement.

According to information shared by investigators, the man suffered what appeared to be a gunshot wound and he was taken to St. George Regional Hospital.

Police said his current condition was unknown.
Any potential victims who have yet to speak to police have been asked to call dispatch at 435-634-5730.