3 shot in night of violence

WASILLA — Three people were shot, one beaten, and two homes were invaded Monday night but as late as Thursday afternoon Alaska State Troopers were still searching for a link between the three incidents.

The latest update came from trooper spokeswoman Beth Ipsen in an email just after 1 p.m. Thursday:

“The home invasion victim has been released from hospital care. The two men who showed up at the hospital suffering from gunshot wounds that same night are still hospitalized. One is still in critical condition and the other is in stable condition. Otherwise there are no updates and there hasn’t been any concrete evidence to link the events that night,” Ipsen’s email reads, in full.

Starting with the first home invasion, here’s what troopers have said so far:

At 4:10 p.m. a call went out for officers to respond to a home at Mile 8.5 Wasilla-Fishhook Rd., 2.5 miles south of the road’s juncture with Palmer-Fishhook Road.

“Investigation revealed that two unidentified males walked into the residence through an unlocked front door and attacked a woman and her son living at the residence.

The men fled on foot. The woman suffered non-life threatening injuries,” the press release states.

Troopers at the scene brought in a tracking dog, which led them to an area where the suspects appeared to have entered a vehicle and drove off.

Information regarding the second home invasion was similarly scarce. Here’s what troopers said:

At 6:50 p.m. officers went to a home near the intersection of Palmer-Wasilla Highway and Trunk Road. At an apartment there they found a man who had been shot multiple times.

“Two males reportedly entered the apartment and threatened the occupants. The male occupant suffered multiple gunshot wounds during the incident,” according to the press release.

Troopers say the wounded man fired a gun at his assailants before they fled. He was taken to Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with serious injuries.

Minutes later, at around 7 p.m., two men showed up at the emergency room at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center with what Ipsen said appeared to be gunshot wounds.

They arrived there via a civilian vehicle rather than an ambulance and are hence referred to as “walk-ins” though that doesn’t mean they were ambulatory. It’s also unclear if they drove themselves or if a third person was behind the wheel.

They both arrived in critical condition, though according to Ipsen’s Thursday email, one of them has since improved.

Contact Andrew Wellner at 352-2270 or andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com.