Alaska News

2 men shot during early-morning confrontation at campground

Two men were taken to Anchorage hospitals with life-threatening injuries after each was shot during a confrontation at Sheep Creek campground in Southcentral Alaska early Monday morning, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Troopers received a call around 1:30 a.m. Monday morning that a confrontation between two camping parties had escalated to a shooting at the campground off the Parks Highway north of Willow, said spokesperson Tim DeSpain.

A camper identified only as a 27-year-old Anchorage man was staying at the campground with a friend, and both were carrying multiple firearms, DeSpain said. Two men in a separate camping party -- identified as a 31-year-old male and a 29-year-old male, both from the Matanuska Valley -- were "concerned by the guns" and confronted the pair about the weapons, DeSpain said.

The Anchorage man then produced a firearm and shot the 31-year-old male, and the 29-year-old then produced a firearm and shot the Anchorage man, troopers said.

Both men sustained wounds to their torso, and were taken by medevac to Anchorage hospitals with life-threatening injuries. The 29-year-old was detained at the scene by Palmer and Talkeetna troopers who were dispatched to the campsite, troopers wrote.

No charges had been filed Sunday and troopers were not releasing the men's names, DeSpain wrote.

Reach Laurel Andrews at laurel@alaskadispatch.com.

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By LAUREL ANDREWS

laurel@alaskadispatch.com

Laurel Andrews

Laurel Andrews was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in October 2018.

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