Man facing felony charges

May 17, 2005

KATE GOLDEN/Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - A 20-year-old Wasilla man who reportedly shot at another local man on Friday was charged with first-degree attempted murder and two counts of reckless endangerment.

Billy P. Thornhill told Wasilla police officer Joel Smith that he drove to the residence of Travis Remo C. Elliot Friday evening with his wife, Danielle Thornhill, and their 21-month-old child in tow. He was looking for a tool box of his that he thought Elliot had, according to an affidavit written by Wasilla police officer Edward Mooney.

He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He tried to open the garage door to look for the box, but it was locked, the affidavit said.

Driving away, he heard a loud pop.

"Thornhill got out of his vehicle and saw Elliot on the front porch of the residence. Elliot was pointing a black handgun at him and started to shoot," Mooney wrote in his report about the incident.

The first shot reportedly hit the ground in front of the vehicle. The second shot neared Thornhill's foot. Thornhill and family drove off, unharmed.

That night, responding to a report of gun shots in the area, Wasilla police officers went to Elliot's residence.

He admitted shooting, but said he hadn't directed the shots at Thornhill.

Mooney found marks on the ground consistent with Thornhill's story. Officers also found .40-caliber Smith and Wesson shell casings in front of the residence.

Elliot was arrested Friday and remanded to Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility in lieu of $70,000 cash or corporate bond.

Conditions of his release forbid him from possessing firearms and from contacting Thornhill or going to his residence.

The next day, Mooney returned with a search warrant and found a black .40-caliber Smith and Wesson handgun and ammunition and one more matching shell casing near the doorway of the residence.

Contact Kate Golden at 352-2284 or kate.golden@frontiersman.com.