Anchorage logged its 17th and 18th homicides of the year in less than two hours Wednesday night.
One victim, a woman, was shot in Spenard. The other, a man, was stabbed in Midtown.
Police say they believe the two deaths were unrelated and – though there have been no arrests in either killing – Anchorage residents should not be alarmed.
MJ Thim is a police spokesperson.
“We understand their concerns, but we want to reassure that we are working to close these cases, but at this time there is no threat to the public,” Thim said.
Thim says it was a little before 9 last night that someone shot the woman in the Spenard neighborhood. He says detectives think the shooting was drug related.
“She was shot and struck by a vehicle fleeing the scene,” Thim said.
The vehicle struck a multi-plex close by. Officers interviewed the driver, and while it was unclear if that person was connected to the shooting, Thim said the driver was released without charges.
Police are withholding the woman’s name pending notification of her next of kin. Thim says investigators have no suspect information to release.
Then, Thim says, shortly before 11pm, police responded to a 911 call and found a man bleeding from multiple stab wounds near Midtown.
“Investigators believe that the victim and the parties involved are homeless,” Thim said. “Indications are this was an isolated incident and not random.”
Thim did not give a possible motive for the stabbing and said investigators also have no suspect information to release, nor have they made any arrests.
Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Casey here.
