CA - Malibu Creek State Park Shooting, Tristan Beaudette, 35, 22 June 2018 *Arrest*

[RickshawFan]

Can you link where he was shot in the leg? I haven't heard that before.

I now see it was his arms.

 

[creepcrusher]

Malibu Canyon road is close to where the wildlife biologist was sleeping. (Probably in the Tapia Park parking lot). If there is a serial shooter he knows the area well and likely does park away from where he shoots. But maybe this time he came upon the biologist near where he himself had parked. Maybe he parks at the adjoining park and then hikes to his "hunting grounds".

He could have night vision googles.

Yes. This is exactly what I'm picturing. He parks somewhere then walks a little ways towards his target. It's easier for him to hide when he doesn't have to hide his escape car. That way there is no vehicle description for anyone to give to LE.

 

[gitana1]

It sounds like you're misunderstanding a few things I'm trying to point out.

1. People carry guns. For whatever reason, not just for hunting.
2. People are extremely afraid of wild animals, even in daylight.
3. People get very jumpy thinking there's an animal near them.
4. The sleeper in the hammock would have been invisible in darkness; that's kinda the point of stealth camping and/or "leave no trace".
5. In the dark, it's easy to mistake a crunch in the bushes with a major threat. True, even in daylight.
6. Many people think it's "smart" to take a gun when they go hiking (or whatever) to protect themselves from "wild animals". Even where shooting is banned.
7. The animal wouldn't have had to appear to a shooter as being in "attack mode". People go nuts in the dark when they hear a squirrel, for goodness sake, even a caterpillar landing on their tent roof.
8. Off the beaten track, your ears are hyped up and sounds seem very loud and dramatic because there's no competition from other noises, as in inhabited areas.
9. All that wildlife biologist would have had to do is to turn over or sigh and he could have been shot by a jittery gun-toter who happened by.
10. This wouldn't have had to be an area with bears in it for someone to think they were at risk of a bear attack. Same with coyotes, deer, mountain lions....

10. Go down a trail in the woods in the pitch dark and notice how jumpy you get at every little sound. Then imagine you had a gun and could act on your alarm.
11. Go down a trail in the woods in broad daylight in an area where bear sightings are normal (e.g. Shenandoah National Park); notice how jumpy people are about even the possibility of coming across a bear. Then imagine how jumpy they'd be at night, and if they had a weapon.

He was shot at close range. While sleeping. In a Hammock. He was not hiding. He was 200 feet from the road.

People don't walk around those areas at night or early morning hours. Armed or not. It's not common at all. Unless they are walking to the bathroom in an actual campground.

But if the person was camping and going to the bathroom with a loaded weapon they'd be at the campground. Not next door at the park.

Way too much of a coincidence for me. Four shootings in early morning/night hours at or of sleeping people. At least two at very close range. In the same general area.

This isn't Arkansas. We don't have a lot of people wandering around at night in nature with guns. We don't have a lot of jumpy people hiking or biking in those areas at all. People around here who use the trails and parks and campgrounds are pretty relaxed about wildlife.

We have bikers and hikers who are unarmed, and who don't typically go out for a trek that late/early.

I know. I've been hiking and camping So Cal for decades.

The coincidences are too great for me.

 

[margarita25]

So if he's coming into the grounds especially for this I think it would be helpful to isolate possible exit routes...someone could very easily pull up to there it seems. Highway proximity, etc? Still catching up on the earlier posts so I've missed it, my apologies.

 

[margarita25]

Maybe a disgruntled ex park worker? Just throwing out some ideas.

 

[margarita25]

There were five shootings at and near a Malibu park over two years. Why didn't authorities alert the public until father was killed?

"Nishida did not provide details about the other incidents. But Malibu community activist Cece Woods said she is aware of one incident just days before Beaudette was killed in which someone fired a shot at a Tesla being driven along Malibu Canyon Road. She said the bullet hit the car but no one was injured."

This, and the bullet hole in the vehicle last year (BIG Hole it looked like from the video upstream) is similar to the "window shatterings" in NOCO around the same time of the killings, which were never linked to the killings.

 

[gitana1]

I want to describe the demographic of this area and of people who camp and hike around here.

This is Malibu. The people who camp and hike the region (these types of parks in the area), are usually upper middle class, very yuppie. Overwhelmingly liberal, anti-gun type of people. Many involved in the entertainment indisutry in some capacity. High LGBTQ population. Tons of health nuts. Hippies. Hipsters.

That changes dramatically when you get into high desert areas or campgrounds/sporting areas near where Bryce Laspisa disappeared. We often call the latter general area, around Castaic, "the grapevine" even though Grapevine is in Kern County to the north. But I think it's because of the winding 5 freeway through the mountain range intersecting LA and Kern Counties.

But this area? It isn't gun country. It's super liberal, Bernie Sanders country. By which I mean you'll find vastly more anti-gun Bernie supporters in parks like this than gun owners.

If it was father east or north then the numbers of campers carrying would skyrocket.

 

[margarita25]

Seems quite farfetched. That would mean someone had to set up or know that the wife was taking a test, then encourage or ask TB to go camping with his daughters, then suggest or request that he go to that specific campground and have known about all the previous shootings (I get the LA Times and none of that was well known and there have been no mentions of multiple shootings until now. Someone would've had to research or have a lot of knowledge about three, other, seemingly unconnected shootings).

Then they would've had to know exactly what space he's in and then risk being seen coming into the park (vehicle being spotted), recognized in the park or tent, and seen fleeing the park, and risk shooting the two children known to be in the tent.

At present that doesn't make much sense to me.

I agree this is an unlikely scenario.

But the ftr can you believe something like this actually did happen one time? It was strange case. NOT saying this is the case here ONE BIT, TB's family are victims here! Anyway o/t I saw on Forensic Files one time where a woman knew where and when her husband was going to go camping so tried to stage a stray bullet hunting scenario. I forgot what it was that got her caught...again I do not think this is the case here!!!

 

[margarita25]

"Nishida said detectives have spent the last few days working with state parks officials and other agencies to “compare any similar shooting incidents” that have occurred within Malibu Creek State Park. The area in and around Malibu Creek State Park is patrolled by several different agencies, including state park rangers, sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol.

A state parks spokeswoman said it has turned over all reports from 2016 to present regarding the illegal discharge of weapons at Malibu Creek State Park to sheriff's detectives. The agency declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

L.A. County sheriff’s Lt. Rodney Moore, who is overseeing the homicide investigation, said in an interview that detectives had no evidence connecting any prior shootings to Beaudette’s death but that they also could not rule out any potential links."

There were five shootings at and near a Malibu park over two years. Why didn't authorities alert the public until father was killed?

 

[Oregonmama]

Seems quite farfetched. That would mean someone had to set up or know that the wife was taking a test, then encourage or ask TB to go camping with his daughters, then suggest or request that he go to that specific campground and have known about all the previous shootings (I get the LA Times and none of that was well known and there have been no mentions of multiple shootings until now. Someone would've had to research or have a lot of knowledge about three, other, seemingly unconnected shootings).

Then they would've had to know exactly what space he's in and then risk being seen coming into the park (vehicle being spotted), recognized in the park or tent, and seen fleeing the park, and risk shooting the two children known to be in the tent.

At present that doesn't make much sense to me.

Seems quite farfetched. That would mean someone had to set up or know that the wife was taking a test, then encourage or ask TB to go camping with his daughters, then suggest or request that he go to that specific campground and have known about all the previous shootings (I get the LA Times and none of that was well known and there have been no mentions of multiple shootings until now. Someone would've had to research or have a lot of knowledge about three, other, seemingly unconnected shootings).

Then they would've had to know exactly what space he's in and then risk being seen coming into the park (vehicle being spotted), recognized in the park or tent, and seen fleeing the park, and risk shooting the two children known to be in the tent.

At present that doesn't make much sense to me.

Until LE gives more answers then anything can be fair game...we are entitled to our own opinions and with all the cases we have seen these days, if someone wants another killed then they can do all the planning they want too. JMO

 

[gitana1]

So if he's coming into the grounds especially for this I think it would be helpful to isolate possible exit routes...someone could very easily pull up to there it seems. Highway proximity, etc? Still catching up on the earlier posts so I've missed it, my apologies.

Tapia Park has a parking lot right next to Malibu Creek road. It then has trails into the campground.

 

[gitana1]

I was just wondering. Is it possible there is a ranger gone wrong? A park ranger?

 

[Oregonmama]

Retaliation towards any scientist is not far fetched and LE needs to investigate everything.......

While local law enforcement is releasing limited information about their investigation, O'Toole said detectives are likely searching for clues in Beaudette's background and at the campsite itself, reports CBS News' Carter Evans.

Malibu park where father was killed while camping had 3 recent shooting incidents

 

[Trident]

I was just wondering. Is it possible there is a ranger gone wrong? A park ranger?

That thought crossed my mind also, but I just didn't want to entertain that thought - too awful.

 

[Tbone144]

So I’ve been playing in google satellite. I think I have read they were in spot 49 & 51 which is in the NE of the campgrounds.

I pulled up my maps in satellite view and I think I found the camp based on the camping map.

Zooming out I see what appears to be a pull off Las Virgenes Rd SE of the campground.

Otherwise it seems pretty sparse in the hills. There is the Malibu Hindu temple across the street.

Going to check out the David Gonzalez Camp school to the south, some sort of summer camp would go with the summer shootings.

Can’t get my images to load so will load them below.

 

[ScorpioRising]

Is there enough information about the location of the other shootings to create a map? Would be nice to see visually how far the other incidents were from the TB shooting.

 

[gitana1]

There were five shootings at and near a Malibu park over two years. Why didn't authorities alert the public until father was killed?

"Nishida did not provide details about the other incidents. But Malibu community activist Cece Woods said she is aware of one incident just days before Beaudette was killed in which someone fired a shot at a Tesla being driven along Malibu Canyon Road. She said the bullet hit the car but no one was injured."

This, and the bullet hole in the vehicle last year (BIG Hole it looked like from the video upstream) is similar to the "window shatterings" in NOCO around the same time of the killings, which were never linked to the killings.

So we have six shootings altogether?

1. 11-3-16 - The shooting of the wildlife biologist in Tapia Park in a hammock while sleeping 200 yards from Malibu Canyon Road. Shotgun blast to the face. Pellets. Hit his arm that was over his head. Fired at close range.
2. 1-17 - Young woman and her boyfriend sleeping in a car at the Malibu Creek Park. Heard gun shot @ 5:00 a.m. Found a slug in the car the next morning. Fired form 20 feet away. Would have hit her if it was n inch higher. Cops probe two MORE shootings at a Malibu park | Daily Mail Online
3. 6-6-17 - Shooting reported in the area. I'm not sure what, when, where.
4. 7-22-17 - No information I could find. Anyone?
5. 6-18-18 - Shots fired at a Tesla on Malibu canyon Road. Bullet hit car. No one injured. There were five shootings at and near a Malibu park over two years. Why didn't authorities alert the public until father was killed?
6. 6-22-18 @ 4:45 a.m. Malibu Creek Park. Shot while inside the tent. Shot to the head. Possible two gun shot holes to tent.

Anyone have more info?

 

[RickshawFan]

I want to describe the demographic of this area and of people who camp and hike around here.

This is Malibu. The people who camp and hike the region (these types of parks in the area), are usually upper middle class, very yuppie. Overwhelmingly liberal, anti-gun type of people. Many involved in the entertainment indisutry in some capacity. High LGBTQ population. Tons of health nuts. Hippies. Hipsters.

That changes dramatically when you get into high desert areas or campgrounds/sporting areas near where Bryce Laspisa disappeared. We often call the latter general area, around Castaic, "the grapevine" even though Grapevine is in Kern County to the north. But I think it's because of the winding 5 freeway through the mountain range intersecting LA and Kern Counties.

But this area? It isn't gun country. It's super liberal, Bernie Sanders country. By which I mean you'll find vastly more anti-gun Bernie supporters in parks like this than gun owners.

If it was father east or north then the numbers of campers carrying would skyrocket.

I'm not sure about politics and the relative merits of accident vs. no accident theories. And I hate to be stereotyping.

My perpsective was more about human nature:
200 feet from the road? Let me propose a gun-toter who pulled off by the road for a pee, dropped trow in semi-darkness, and thought he was about to get attacked by an animal, so he shot at where the sound was coming from (the unfortunate wildlife biologist), not being able to see clearly 'n all. The sound was coming from head height, so it must be a really BIG animal.

Thankfully, no animal attack ensued, so he hauled up trow, jumped back into his vehicle, and with a squeal of tires, got the heck out of there. Shaking all over: animals in the dark, attacking animals, big animals, wild animals, mountain lions coyotes, bears, animals way over my head, anything that makes a rustling noise when he can't tell what it is, scare the heck out of him. Whew!

I'll bet the wildlife biologist's hammock was black, dark brown, or dark green. He wriggled and sighed.

 

[gitana1]

So if he's coming into the grounds especially for this I think it would be helpful to isolate possible exit routes...someone could very easily pull up to there it seems. Highway proximity, etc? Still catching up on the earlier posts so I've missed it, my apologies.

Smart thinking.

 

[Tbone144]

Maybe someone else will have better luck with satellite views, I can’t seem to get mine to up load. I will try again later. There appears to be a pull off east south east of the campground. Just beyond that is the entrance to David Gonzales Camp School which appears to be a male Juvenille Court School by a google search that shows closed in 1986 but there was an article about it in 1995. Anyone local know if it’s operating? Is is shut down, is there access? Also see Camp Gillmore off Mesa Creek Motorway. They seem to have a camp in session if I’m reading their page right and and have an Air Rifle range.