ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A shooting in the parking lot of a busy Walmart in South Anchorage on Sunday evening left two people dead and sent shockwaves through the community. As authorities hunt for the suspect, Alaska’s largest city is grappling with ongoing gun violence.
The incident occurred just after 5:10 p.m. on Sunday, prompting a major response from the police. The bodies of a man and a woman were discovered outside the store on the Old Seward Highway at 88th Avenue. With the store on lockdown, investigators recovered a firearm at the scene and are now working to locate the shooter. The suspect’s description and the identities of the victims have not been released.
This act of violence adds to the growing number of gun-related crimes that have stirred the contentious debate on gun control across the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, over 38,000 deaths have been attributed to shootings so far this year, including suicides and accidental incidents.
Sean Keating, a crime scene team leader at the Anchorage Police Department (APD), expressed relief that more people were not injured in the shooting, considering the high volume of shoppers at the store.
As of yet, no arrests have been made. Law enforcement officials plan to review the store’s surveillance footage to identify the suspect. The APD has urged anyone with information about the incident to contact Police Dispatch.
As the investigation continues, the city of Anchorage mourns the loss of two of its residents while grappling with the broader issue at hand.