Update 12:40 p.m. Friday:
Police have named the man who was fatally shot Wednesday night at the 5th Avenue Mall’s parking garage.
In an updated statement Friday, police say 20-year-old Skyler Burkett’s family has been notified of his death. Police have not yet announced any arrests in the shooting, which they say they’re investigating as a homicide.
Also on Friday, the Anchorage Fire Department said a paramedic in a department SUV responding to the shooting Wednesday struck another vehicle that evening. The paramedic and one other person were injured in the crash.
Original story:
Anchorage police say a man died after a downtown shooting Wednesday evening at the 5th Avenue Mall parking garage.
A police statement initially described the case as an injury shooting, with officers responding to the garage’s top level just before 8:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Officers found the victim with an upper-body wound, the statement said. Few additional details were available Thursday morning.
Police conducted several interviews overnight, with no charges immediately filed, according to the statement. The motive behind the shooting was still under investigation early Thursday.
Police spokeswoman Renee Oistad said in an email Thursday morning that the victim had died, with the case now being investigated as a homicide. She declined to answer further questions – including whether police are seeking a suspect – due to the ongoing investigation.
According to the statement, police were notifying the victim’s family Thursday morning. They also ask anyone with information on the shooting who hasn’t already spoken with investigators to call them at 311.
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.
