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Runner fought off mountain lion with stick just weeks before fatal attack on same Colorado trail

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Runner fought off mountain lion with stick just weeks before fatal attack on same Colorado trail

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Weeks before a hiker was killed in a suspected mountain lion attack in Colorado, a man was nearly attacked by another big cat on the same trail.

Gary Messina said he was rushed by a mountain lion while running along the same northern Colorado trail on a dark morning in November.

Messina said he threw his phone at the animal while it kept circling behind him and was able to get away after a couple of minutes when he broke a stick off of a log and hit the mountain lion over the head with it.

“I had to fight it off because it was basically trying to maul me,” Messina told The Associated Press. “I was scared for my life, and I wasn’t able to escape. I tried backing up, and it would try to lunge at me.”

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A mountain lion at the Wildlife Rescue Center in Alajuela, Costa Rica, Sept. 16, 2024. (Ezequiel Becerra/AFP via Getty Images)

A woman who was found dead on the same trail on New Year’s Day had “wounds consistent with a mountain lion attack,” a Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokeswoman said.

“Around 12:15 this afternoon, hikers on the Crosier Mountain trail in Larimer County observed a mountain lion near a person lying on the ground from about 100 yards away,” Kara Van Hoose said during a news conference Thursday.

After the suspected attack, wildlife officials killed two mountain lions and are searching for a third to determine if the animal had rabies or another disease.

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The attack was the first suspected fatal mountain lion mauling in more than 25 years, with the last one occurring in 1999.

This photo provided by Gary Messina shows a mountain lion in the brush between two trees along the Crosier Mountain trail in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests near Glen Haven, Colo., Nov 11, 2025.  (Gary Messina via AP)

Messina said he reported his incident days later, and officials posted warning signs about mountain lions that were later taken down.

He said he believes the animal that attacked him may have been the same one that killed the New Year’s hiker.

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Mountain lion sightings in that area of Rocky Mountains National Park are common, but the animals are rarely aggressive.

The New Year’s Day attack would be the fourth fatal one in North America in the last decade and the 30th since 1868, according to the Mountain Lion Foundation.

“As more people live, work and recreate in areas that overlap wildlife habitat, interactions can increase, not because mountain lions are becoming more aggressive, but because overlap is growing,” the organization’s chief conservation officer, Byron Weckworth, said.

Authorities suspect a lone woman hiker in Colorado was killed in a rare mountain lion attack on New Year’s Day.  (AP Digital Embed)

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To avoid risk of an attack, experts tell nature seekers to avoid dawn and dusk, when mountain lions are most active and to travel in groups.

During an encounter, experts suggest maintaining eye contact with the animal, trying to appear as large as possible, slowly backing away without turning your back on the animal and not running.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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San Francisco, CA

Fallen tree downs powerlines in SF, delays Muni line

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Fallen tree downs powerlines in SF, delays Muni line


The downed tree caused the San Francisco Fire Department to close Church Street between Cesar Chavez Street and 26th Street after the tree fell at about 1 p.m.

Traffic was closed to vehicles and pedestrians on a portion of Church Street in San Francisco’s Mission District on Saturday after a tree fell onto power lines.

What we know:

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The downed tree caused the San Francisco Fire Department to close Church Street between Cesar Chavez Street and 26th Street after the tree fell at about 1 p.m.

Power for 27 customers was shut off by PG&E while repairs were being made.

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The response:

Crews from the utility and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency responded to clear the tree.

Traffic was closed in both directions while the tree blocked the J Muni line.

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The SFMTA said in an alert that the line was clear to resume normal service at about 3:15 p.m.

The Source: San Francisco Fire Department

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Denver, CO

Pedestrian fatally hit by Frontier airplane departing Denver for Los Angeles, flight canceled after

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Pedestrian fatally hit by Frontier airplane departing Denver for Los Angeles, flight canceled after


A Frontier plane fatally struck a pedestrian in Denver as it was taking off for Los Angeles Friday night, according to the airline and Denver International Airport. Authorities say the pedestrian jumped the fence and crossed the active runway where they were pulled into the aircraft’s engine.



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Seattle, WA

Seattle beer garden employee found fatally shot inside business

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Seattle beer garden employee found fatally shot inside business


Seattle police are investigating a homicide after a man was found dead Saturday morning at a business in the city’s Lake City neighborhood, authorities said.

Officers responded to the 8500 block of Lake City Way Northeast after employees arriving to open the Growler Guys, a beer garden and restaurant, discovered a deceased man inside around 9 a.m. Saturday, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said at the scene.

The man, who police confirmed to be an employee in his early 20s, appeared to have died from gunshot wounds, Barnes said.

Seattle Fire Department personnel pronounced him dead.

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Dozens of friends and family members of the young victim spent hours on the scene Saturday, and many were visibly overcome with emotion.

Kelly Dole, owner of the Growler Guys, described the victim as a warm, light-hearted young man.

“He was the type of friend that everybody wanted to have,” Dole said. “His group of friends, which includes my son, are really going to miss him. They’re about as tight as a group of young men can be.”

The victim had been working at the business the night before; however, Seattle police have not confirmed when the shooting happened or what may have led up to it.

“When we have things like this, we have to reevaluate what we could’ve done better,” Chief Barnes said. “How can we make sure that we’re doing everything in our power to bring justice to this family, because quite frankly, they deserve it.”

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Detectives are focusing their investigation on the business and were processing the scene for evidence Saturday. Officers, investigators, chaplains, and support services were present.

The restaurant’s owners are cooperating with police, Barnes said. Dole was emotional while speaking with KOMO News about how the tragic shooting has shaken his neighborhood business.

“He always had a smile; he was so buoyant, you could never get him down,” Dole talked about the victim. “The world lost someone important today.”

Authorities said residents can expect an increased police presence in the area as the investigation continues and in the coming days.

There is no suspect information at this time, and police did not make any arrests. The circumstances leading up to the killing are under investigation.

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Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.

The killing marks Seattle’s 12th homicide of the year, according to Barnes.

This is a developing news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.



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