Anchorage police have arrested a suspect in last month’s shooting during a late-night encounter on a trail near University Lake, saying in charging documents that he had threatened to shoot people.
Court records show Alex Manley, 21, charged with first-degree assault and three counts of third-degree assault in the Nov. 25 shooting.
A warrant for Manley was issued Monday. Police said in a statement that he was already in custody at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, after being arrested in a separate case earlier this month.
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The victim, who has not yet been named by police, went to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
A witness, Nikolai Avalnun, told Alaska Public Media that he and a group of other men were lured by calls for help to a trail near the Alaska Native Medical Center. An unidentified man then opened fire on them with what Avalnun described as .22-caliber rounds, striking one of the men as they ran away.
Avalnun’s account was corroborated by police in a charging document against Manley. According to the charges, police found .22 Long Rifle shell casings in the area of the shooting.
About three weeks later, on Dec. 14, police arrested Manley on misdemeanor assault charges after a domestic disturbance at a Westminster Way home northeast of the medical center. Police seized a .22 rifle and ammunition as evidence.
According to the police statement, Manley became "combative" when he was approached Dec. 14.
Police say Manley initially denied being involved in the shooting, but tracking data from his cellphone allegedly placed him in the area at the time. Police also said a round test-fired from Manley’s rifle was a presumptive match against the recovered shell casings.
In a second interview on Tuesday, police say Manley admitted to taking a walk on the trail system the night of the shooting because he was “frustrated” after playing video games. He continued to deny he was involved, however.
“During the interview Manley became agitated, requested a lawyer and then became violent by punching the glass door and threatening to hurt (two police investigators) while we tried to get him to calm down,” police said in the charges.
Police said a family member of Manley’s told them he often became angry when he wasn’t taking medication for bipolar disorder, and often allegedly threatened to “shoot people.” He also played first-person shooter video games and had recently acquired the rifle with help from a relative.
