A man shot and killed another man in the parking lot of a South Anchorage sports complex Saturday during an argument between parents, according to a charging document.
Luke Charles Simonson, 36, faces murder charges in the death of Timothy Grosdidier, 45.
Police received numerous 911 calls reporting the shooting around 11:45 a.m. Saturday. According to the charges, multiple children witnessed the shooting outside of the Fox Hollow Golf Course & Sports Dome. A local soccer club hosts trainings for kids there on Saturdays.
The charges say the incident started in the parking lot, when Grosdidier’s wife accused Simonson of nearly hitting one of her children.
Accounts included in the charging document diverge on what exactly happened next.
The charges say that Simonson told police he heard shouting as he was pulling out of the parking lot with his wife and young child after soccer. Simonson had a handgun in his pocket. He said both Grosdidier and his wife were yelling. He told police that Grosdidier then came around the front of his truck. Simonson got out of the truck, "immediately drew his weapon" and pointed it at Grosdidier. He said the two began to argue.
According to Simonson, Grosdidier “kept coming at him,” the charges say. Simonson told police Grosdidier did not have a gun, but he felt Grosdidier was “a threat to him and his family.” He said he shot him, and Grosdidier "kept advancing," so he shot him two or three more times.
Grosdidier’s wife told police that her husband was still walking around the truck when Simonson got out, and that Simonson was “looking for a fight.”
Another witness told police that Grosdidier did move aggressively toward the truck but never got past the front of the vehicle. According to the charges, the witness said Simonson shot Grosdidier without any warning or commands.
The charges also reference dashboard camera footage from another person in the parking lot. According to police, the video showed that as Grosdidier reached the front of the truck’s driver’s side, Simonson got out and immediately shot him. The footage, cited in the charges, showed that Simonson "advanced at him and fired multiple gunshots." It also showed Grosdidier turning away and "not advancing towards Simonson," according to the charges.
Grosdidier’s wife then walked toward her husband, who was on the ground. Simonson pointed his handgun at her, and she put her hands in the air and backed away, the charges say.
The charges say an off-duty officer was in the parking lot and found Grosdidier on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and stomach. The officer tried to save Grosdidier, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
On Monday, the sports complex was open and an employee declined to comment, saying staff wanted to let police complete their investigation. An online fundraiser for Grosdidier's family described him as "a kind, hard-working, and loving man whose greatest joy was his family and helping others."
Simonson is being held at Anchorage Correctional Complex on charges of first- and second-degree murder as well as third-degree assault. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
