Friday, February 17, 2012

More Shootings in Alaska

Guess all those guns in Wasilla and other parts of Alaska don't make the place all that safe.  I was just looking for an update on the two drunken gun nuts last month who were shooting at each other, in the middle of the day, mistaking each other for a home intruder in Wasilla.....
These are all either recent events or updates of prior events.  I could list many many more just going back to December 2011, given the Alaska 'gun culture', but I didn't get that far.  Definitely, guns do NOT make us safer.  Gun culture makes us LESS SAFE, and as a result we are also less free.

From KTUU.com and the AP:

Sexual Abuse Suspect Shoots Himself as Warrant Being Served



Anchorage police say a man suspected in a sexual abuse of a minor case shot himself in the head when detectives tried to serve an arrest warrant.

APD spokesperson Lt. Dave Parker says 44-year-old John Fields was taken to a hospital Thursday and is listed in critical condition.

The warrant for Fields was for sexual abuse of a minor for the sexual penetration of a male between the ages of 13 and 16.

Police believe there may be other victims, and encourage them to call 786-8573.

Parker says Fields was known at times to introduce himself as either "Jack" or "John Michael Meyers."
 
and 

Kobuk Man Sentenced in Weapons Case

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
Federal prosecutors say a 39-year-old Kobuk man has been sentenced to almost four years in prison for his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Elvin Wood was sentenced to 46 months.
Prosecutors say he pleaded guilty in a plea agreement in November.
According to prosecutors, Wood traveled by snowmobile from Kobuk to Shungnak last March and was carrying a .44 caliber revolver.
Prosecutors say Alaska State Troopers received reports that Wood was intoxicated in Shungnak and threatened a village public safety officer.
Prosecutors say Wood later acknowledged to troopers that he had been Shungnak and in possession of a firearm.
According to prosecutors, Wood has two prior criminal convictions punishable by more than a year imprisonment.
Kobuk and Shungnak are villages in northwest Alaska.

and this case of a toddler shot in the head (sorry, there is no video embed code provided; you'll have to follow the link):  http://www.ktuu.com/news/crime/ 
There are two separate videos, a toddler hit by bullet and a toddler shooting update.  And there is also a Holiday gas station shooting video.  There are probably others, but at this point I was still looking for an update on the Wasilla shooting. and
A man has been convicted in the deaths of two teenage drug dealers in Anchorage.
Twenty-five-year-old James Coven shot and killed Christon Lee and Matthew Peterson, both 19 years old, in 2009.
The Anchorage Daily News says an Anchorage jury deliberated for just a couple of hours before finding him guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, evidence tampering and misconduct involving drugs.

Prosecutors John Darnell says on the day of the murders Coven picked up an AK-47 used in the murders. Two accomplices pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and testified in exchange for more lenient. They testified that Coven walked up to a truck the teens were sitting in and stuck the barrel of the weapon into the cab and began firing.

Coven is set to be sentenced on May 18.
and
there is this and other updates on this abduction at gun point caught on camera :

Two Weeks Since Samantha Koenig's Disappearance, APD Says It's Making Progress

Two weeks after Samantha Koenig's disappearance, her father James says he's trying hard to stay hopeful.
Samantha was abducted from Common Grounds Espresso on February 1. Her father describes the past two weeks as a roller coaster.

"I can't lose sight, I can't lose hope on this. That's what's driving me. You know, that kid's my heart and I'm hers," says Koenig.

Hope is what Samantha's family is leaning on.

Anchorage police say they are following up on any new leads and conducting more interviews. While many of the leads have come from the internet, police say rumors circulating online are also hindering their investigative efforts. Multiple rumors were recently posted on sites like Facebook, claiming Samantha's body was found.

"Everyone is aware there are rumors running rampant on the internet and those are very destructive. People should not post things they don't know to be true," says Lt. Dave Parker, police spokesman.

While police continue to gather details about Samantha Koenig's kidnapping, APD is also looking ahead.
The department is organizing a safety presentation for baristas at the APD Training Center. So far, anywhere between 100 to 200 baristas are expected to attend.

"We are going to come down and talk to them a little bit about situational awareness, a little bit about self defense, how to be aware of their surroundings, personal safety and things like that," says Sr. Patrol Officer Jennifer Haywood, who will help with the training.

Police are encouraging anyone with information about Samantha Koenig's abduction to call 786-8900.

1 comment:

  1. The sexual predator did the right thing for once by trying to kill himself. If only his aim had been better, but he may yet leave this world.

    ReplyDelete