Two shot in Wasilla

WASILLA — Alaska State Troopers said two men suffered gunshot wounds early Saturday morning in Wasilla, but the circumstances of the incident remained shrouded in mystery as the day wore on.

Both of the injured men were in stable condition at a local hospital, according to a press release issued by the Alaska Bureau of Investigation at around 11:35 a.m.

The brief press release speculated that drugs were a factor in the shooting, but did not elaborate as to what led investigators to that conclusion. Authorities did not release the names of the victims or say whether they believed a suspect was still at large.

Here's the entire statement issued via the Alaska State Troopers' website:

"On 10/17/15, at approximately 0010 hours, the Alaska State Troopers received a report of a shooting in Wasilla. Two males were located that had been shot and they were transported to a hospital, and are reported to be in stable condition. Drugs are believed to have been a factor. Investigation is continuing."

Troopers were not releasing any more information as the investigation proceeded. Spokeswoman Beth Ipsen said investigators were still trying to piece together exactly what happened at the home.

"There's still too many things to sort out before much is going to be released," she wrote in a Saturday email.

The shootings occurred at a home on North Charley Drive, which is located in a residential neighborhood north of Bogard Road. A trooper at the scene in the predawn hours Saturday said no one had been taken into custody and that an investigation was ongoing. That was still the case as investigators continued their work through the morning.

At around 9 a.m., members of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation could be seen going in and out of the single-story house collecting evidence. They'd worked through the night, and still had large light poles set up in the driveway.

On Saturday morning, daylight revealed more of the scene. The front yard outside the home where the shootings occurred was unkempt, with trash, coolers, the lid of a barbecue grill and other debris scattered about. On the front porch sat a swing as well as a makeshift couch made from a vehicle's bench seat, which appeared soaked from recent rains. There were several vehicles in the driveway, including a pick-up truck sitting on its rotors.

There was also a neon yellow sign shaped like a child at play and mounted on a rock pillar near the road, warning passing motorists to slow down.

The home is owned by Wasilla's Judy Lane, who said she got word of the shooting early Saturday from a neighbor who woke in the night to the sound of dogs barking outside after police arrived at the scene. Lane said she's been renting the house to a 22-year-old man named Kevin K. Moore for about a year. She said she hadn't had many problems with him until recently, when the property started to get messy.

"He kinda started stacking up his garbage and I raised hell with him," Lane said.

Lane said Moore has always paid his rent on time.

"He's always been forward and up front with me," she said.

When he moved in, Lane told Moore she didn't put up with drugs and Moore promised her he wouldn't cause any trouble because he'd had a past brush with the law.

"He made it very clear there would be no drinking, no drugs, no partying because he was on probation," she said.

A check of the state's online database revealed Moore was convicted in 2013 for felony vehicle theft committed when he was 19.

Authorities would not comment on whether Moore was involved in the shooting, and Ipsen pointed out that just because someone is renting a house doesn't mean they're necessarily involved in what goes on there.

Lane said she planned to go check on the house later in the afternoon.

"I'm just a hop, skip and jump from over there," she said.

She said the idea that a shooting took place in her rental property definitely rattled her.

"This is pretty scary," Lane said.

Contact Frontiersman editor Matt Tunseth at news@frontiersman.com