Crater Lake Attendance

The sun rises over Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park in this January 2006 file photo.

(Marc Adamus /The Register-Guard via AP)

Officials are investigating the theft of thousands of rounds of ammunition from a Crater Lake National Park storage building.

Park rangers noticed the rifle and pistol caliber ammunition was missing early Monday morning, park spokeswoman Jennifer Evans said. Investigators are offering up to $1,000 for tips that lead to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person or people who stole the bullets.

Evans said the ammunition theft is a felony crime.

Investigators think the suspect, or suspects, entered through at least one locked door of a storage building near the park's headquarters and then took the ammunition from secured lockers.

Evans would not comment on how the entry was made or evidence gathered. "This is an open investigation," she said. Officers from the National Park Investigative Services Branch, Oregon State Police as well as Crater Lake rangers are participating in the investigation.

The ammunition is used for training, qualification and normal law enforcement activities by the park's five full-time rangers and four summer seasonal rangers. Rangers shooting a bullet, however, is rare, Evans said, noting she did not know of an officer shooting in the line of duty in her three years at the park.

Investigators ask anyone with information about the theft to email them, submit a tip online, call a tip line, 888-653-0009, send a text message to 202-379-4761, or message them on Facebook or Twitter. Tipsters can remain anonymous.

-- Jim Ryan and Allan Brettman