Natrual Order of Things
Predators & Prey
Predators can be opportunists, criminals, fugitives, or have mental problems - among other things.
Loggers.
Same thing this incident is about, occurs with folks in parks, hiking, hunting, backpackers, folks living off waterways...etc.
Some may be into drugs, fencing stolen goods, poaching, living as tresspassers (homeless, mentally ill, criminals, fugitives...).
I am in the Big City, 20 min from me is an area now developed. This road lead from the city to a more rural area, Ridges on both sides of the road. In the old days, the highway men would watch folks , sometimes they stole and worse for the goods being taken in for sale or barter - sometimes best to steal or worse when new goods being taken back home.
20 min again is an area off a river, illegal activities still occur, non law abiding hiding out, using boats to conduct activities, or mentally unstable coming into town.
I have been out hiking, hunting, or checking out property, I have had the shots fired, seen the booby traps. Even on property owned, way down on less checked on areas, one accessed by boat.
Fire upon folks to scare them off, if that don't work, the three "S"'s.
Spot in state where the road dead ends into a lake, history ...who knows how many folks from crooks, rapists, Law Abiding, Keepers of game , law and order ended up in that lake.
Then again there is an area 15 min away known to have the same history. I have flown over this area, sure interesting from the air.
This "behavoir " is not new, just some now just coming to realize just because they are humans, even law abiding humans, does not mean they are the top of the Natural Order of things. Predator & Prey. Be it getting shot at, snakebit, or infection from a rusty barbed wire fence.
Watch Animals, they will check out another to see if Predator, or Prey. They will "test" and then respond accordingly.
Momma quail feign a broken wing to lead a predator away from young.
Momma peacocks send the male with the huge flowery feathers to predators, she don't care about the male really, again the female is the deadliest of the two species. The males grow the huge feathers to vie attention of the female making them vulnerable to predators. They cannot evade with all them feathers, and sure cannot hide very well.
Female just wants her eggs fertile, then makes the male watch over them. What does she care about the male getting eaten?
Now if she sends the male peacock out, and nothing amiss, he is not eaten... back to being a submissive male and watching the young 'uns.
You shoot at a logger, maybe to warn, maybe to scare off to steal loggers vehicle and contents. Then again if schiz-d, the shots maybe to scare the voices in their head. Logger must be the voices...real to them.
Might be to not have any witnesses to a drop zone, girls kidnapped, raped, killed and buried...
One never knows...
What is important is be aware, train the brain , know how to use various tools to survive.
Makes no difference the "why" - when trouble comes the abilty to deal and survive is the main thing.