A state attorney was shot and killed in Barrow last night.
Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Law’s Criminal Division Rick Svobodny says Brian Sullivan was killed some time before midnight. Barrow police are leading the investigation.
“It’s a progression, doing one thing to another, the information changes so I don’t think it’s appropriate to talk about their investigation until they complete it,” he said.
Svobodny confirmed that Sullivan had worked for the state since the spring of 2012. He had been a military attorney for the Army for 10 years previously.
“When I interviewed him actually for a job he was interested in moving to a rural community because he had served in the military overseas in the middle east and enjoyed being in a place with a different culture so he wanted to experience an Alaska Native community and specifically requested to go to Barrow,” Svobodny said.
Svobodny says he was called at midnight. He says the shooting happened around 11 p.m.
“It was after a sporting event at the local school, because I know one the local police officers saw him there so the time frame was around 11,” Svobodny said.
Svobodny said Sullivan was not shot at the school event but he would not confirm where the shooting had taken place.
Svobodny said Sullivan was 49-years-old at the time of his death and was not currently married.
He said he expects a charging document will be out later Tuesday.
Lori Townsend is the chief editor, senior vice president of journalism and senior host for Alaska Public Media. You can send her news tips and program ideas for Talk of Alaska and Alaska Insight at ltownsend@alaskapublic.org or call 907-550-8452. Read more about Lori here.
