Hikers ‘hunkered down’ behind boulders as bullets flew near Yosemite, CA cops say

A dispatcher could hear gunshots ring out as panicked hikers called 911 over what deputies feared was an active-shooter situation near Yosemite National Park, California authorities say.

The individuals were hiking on Parker Lake Trail when they heard — and felt — gunshots being fired in their vicinity Sept. 26, the Mono County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

After calling 911, the hikers later said they could hear the bullets pass them as they “hunkered down behind rocks and trees until the shooting stopped,” deputies said.

“Responding deputies were able to ascertain where the shots were coming from and, fearing an active shooter, immediately moved toward the sound of fire,” the sheriff’s office said. “They discovered three subjects target shooting north of the trail.”

The three accused shooters, all from Southern California, stopped firing when deputies arrived, authorities said. They were arrested and charged with willful discharge of a firearm in a grossly negligent manner.

“While no injuries were reported, they were definitely in harm’s way and justifiably frightened,” deputies said of the hikers.

Mono County, most of which is on the outskirts of the eastern side of Yosemite, is about a 225-mile drive southeast from Sacramento.

This story was originally published September 30, 2025 at 1:48 PM with the headline "Hikers ‘hunkered down’ behind boulders as bullets flew near Yosemite, CA cops say."