Man Sentenced for Shenandoah National Park Hatchet Attack
HARRISONBURG, Va. — A Springfield man has been sentenced to serve more than six years in federal prison for assaulting his then-girlfriend with a hatchet in Shenandoah National Park.
According to early 2026 court documents and trial testimony, the couple was camping at Mathews Arm Campground (MP 22.1) on August 24, 2025.
Late that evening, multiple park visitors reported hearing a heated argument.
Witnesses from three separate campsites testified they heard screaming, slamming, crying and choking, as well as a sound they believed to be a gunshot.
One person reported seeing the man grab the woman.
Witnesses testified they heard a female voice say, “I can’t believe you would threaten me with murder.”
A male voice said, “I don’t care, I’ll do the max sentence.”
All three witnesses called 911.
National Park Service law enforcement rangers responded to the incident and encountered two of the witnesses at a nearby overlook.
While speaking with them, a vehicle matching the description of the subject’s vehicle drove past.
Rangers immediately initiated a pursuit and conducted a traffic stop.
The driver was identified as Soufiane Bougria, 31.
Bougria was shirtless, barefoot and showed signs of intoxication.
Officers observed a female in the passenger seat, crying and screaming.
According to the report, the woman was holding clothing against a “gaping laceration” on her right arm and wrist in an attempt to stop bleeding.
The vehicle’s windshield was shattered, and large dirty footprints were visible on both the hood and windshield. “Blood and fatty tissue” were present inside of the vehicle.
Bougria told officers the victim’s injury was caused by an axe, but had been accidental.
The woman was transported to Winchester Medical Center, where she underwent emergency surgery.
Rangers returned to the couple’s campsite in the early hours of August 25 and discovered pepper spray, shoes, personal items and blood throughout. They also recovered a hatchet with blood spatter on the handle.
Bougria was convicted by a federal grand jury in March.
On July 20, 2026, he was sentenced to serve 78 months in federal prison.