“The shooting happened in the Stanislaus National Forest at Deadman Campground.”
Sounds like it’s happened before there.
Deadman/Kennedy meadows is the last camping area spared from the devastating fires that wiped up the Dardenelles just down the road.
About 10 miles east of the actual pass is the mountain warfare training area located along the west Walker river: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Warfare_Training_Center
This is one of the routes the original pioneers took to reach CA, following both water sources and meadow grazing areas, hence the name 'Emigrant wilderness'.