Editor’s note: This story includes mentions of suicide and violence against a child.
A woman fatally injured herself and a 3-year-old boy in a Mountain View parking lot Tuesday morning, according to the Anchorage Police Department.
A police statement said the woman called dispatchers just after 10:30 a.m. and told them she was going to harm herself. Police found her and the boy inside a vehicle parked at the Glenn Square shopping center, off Mountain View Drive.
“Just after the first officer arrived, the woman injured herself utilizing a firearm; the 3-year-old male in the car with her was also injured,” said the police statement. “Officers performed life-saving measures on the victims until medics arrived and took over.”
Both the woman and boy were taken to hospitals, where they were declared dead.
Police have not released their names. In the statement, police described the boy as a victim of domestic violence.
Police spokeswoman Cherie Zajdzinski declined to answer questions about the deaths, saying the investigation is ongoing.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, there are many resources to help: Contact the Alaska Careline at 1-877-266-4357 or text 4help to 839863. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. View warning signs of suicide from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cklint@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Chris here.
