Crime & Courts

Man injured by stray bullet at Fairbanks library, police say

Fairbanks police say firefighters responded to a report of a man who was injured at a local library by an exploding cellphone charger. It turned out a stray bullet struck him.

The Fairbanks Police Department responded to the Noel Wien Public Library at about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday to aid a man who reportedly had been hurt "when a cellphone charger plugged into an outlet exploded," according to a release from the City of Fairbanks.

Firefighters requested help from police after realizing the victim's injuries were caused by a bullet, the release says.

A preliminary investigation by a responding officer found the man was seated at a table working on his laptop. "He was struck by a bullet which ricocheted off a wall and access panel before entering and exiting his right forearm," police said.

The officer recovered the bullet at the scene. No other people were injured.

Where the bullet came from remains a mystery. Officials said no gun was seen nor were there any reports of disputes between the victim and anyone in the library.

But witnesses told police they'd possibly heard a gunshot prior to the man being hurt.

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The victim told police there was a person seated at the opposite end of his table when he was struck by the bullet. That person checked on his injury, but he apparently took off, because police are trying to find him.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to email Fairbanks police officer Ace Adams at aadams@fairbanks.us.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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