Anchorage police say a fight between two women outside a downtown bar early Sunday escalated to an exchange of gunfire between two men that left one of the men dead.
In an updated statement Wednesday, police say two people – Patricia Avery, 30, and Markin L. Giddins, 38 – have now been charged with evidence tampering in the shooting that killed 30-year-old Tahjeay Baldwin. Avery is also charged with fourth-degree assault.
According to a charging document against Giddins, officers responded just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday to the Gaslight Lounge on West 4th Avenue. They found Baldwin outside shot in the torso and another man sitting in a nearby car with a gunshot wound in his neck.
Police said Baldwin was taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center and declared dead. The other man, who has not been publicly named or charged, was taken to the Alaska Native Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition. According to police, he told officers “he was attacked and fought for his life.”
Investigators reviewed surveillance video from the Gaslight and several surrounding businesses.
According to the charges, the footage showed Avery approaching and punching another woman in the face. When the other man involved in the shooting reached toward Avery, Baldwin stepped forward and hit him in the face.
“Tahjeay can be seen pulling up the front of his shirt,” police wrote in the charging document. “(The other man) can be seen shooting at Tahjeay. Tahjeay fell to the ground. Seconds later Tahjeay can be seen shooting back at (him).”
In the minutes after the shooting, police say, surveillance video shows Avery picking up a gun lying near Baldwin and giving it to a man officers later identified as Giddins. Police say Giddens dumped the gun in a garbage can behind the Gaslight. Officers later recovered the weapon, a 9mm pistol consistent with six 9mm shell casings found near Baldwin.
“The weapon was capable of holding 6 rounds of ammunition,” police said. “A substance believed to be blood was seen on the weapons handle.”
Police also found three .40-caliber shell casings outside the bar. A .40-caliber handgun inside the wounded man’s car was seen jammed on a fourth shell casing, with 21 rounds still in its magazine.
“The crime scene team found three apparent bullet defects in the Anchorage Police headquarters building which is across the street from the Gaslight bar,” police said.
Court records show Avery and Giddins made initial court appearances Sunday. Both were released on bail.
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.
