Crime & Courts

Anchorage police ask witnesses to dance-floor killing to come forward

Detective David Cordie, the lead investigator in a Spenard shooting that left an Anchorage teenager dead on the Alano Club dance floor in mid-July, asked Anchorage residents Wednesday to come together to help solve the case and end youth violence in the city.

"The level of violence with our youth is outstanding at this time," Cordie said, citing two other shootings in January in which teenage suspects were charged.

"Please, enough is enough. Come forward, help us," Cordie said later.

Cordie said the Anchorage Police Department's entire homicide unit is investigating who shot Alex Thanapong Yu at 1:20 a.m. on July 18 at the Alano Club, a sober facility on Spenard Road that was being rented out for a dance party.

Witnesses described Yu's body lying on the dance floor as others ran out of the building. Yu's mother described her son as a smart boy who'd had some trouble in his teenage years. She also said she was told that her son was shot in the chest at close range.

Over 100 people were at the club during the shooting, Cordie said Wednesday. Their ages ranged from 13 to 21 and they represented a "wide range of people from all high schools."

Cordie declined to provide additional information on the case -- whether multiple suspects were sought, what the motive might have been -- saying that the investigation was still in its early stages.

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Instead, Cordie urged witnesses to come forward.

"I know for a fact there is somebody out there that has information that will forward this investigation," Cordie said, later adding that police "knew" there was cellphone video taken that night.

"It is frustrating for the Anchorage Police Department, it's frustrating for the investigators, it's frustrating for everybody because we are members of this community also," Cordie added.

Young people who may fear repercussions for other crimes -- such as underage drinking, according to APD spokeswoman Jennifer Castro -- should be assured that such violations "are not on the level" of a homicide investigation, Cordie said. "Those other issues are not a problem at this time," he said.

Anyone with information was asked to provide it in one of three ways: by calling police dispatchers at 907-786-8900, by calling Cordie's direct line at 907-786-8679 or by using Anchorage Crime Stoppers -- an anonymous tip site where people can leave information and may be eligible for a $1,000 reward.

Alano Club shooting July 18

Anchorage police vehicles sit outside the Alano Club on Spenard Road Saturday, July 18, after the early-morning shooting. Photo by Devin Kelly.

Cordie asked that anyone using Crime Stoppers provide as much information as possible, even if it seems unimportant. "Let us determine if it's valuable to the investigation," Cordie said.

Citing a culture in which many young people do not want to speak with police, Cordie asked the public to "band together with families … and say as a community, 'we will not tolerate this anymore.' "

Yu's mother, Arraya Thepuxsonnarong, also asked for the public's help in providing "anything to lead to this person" and bringing "justice for Alex."

Thepuxsonnarong said she also felt frustrated by apparent hesitancy to come forward with information. "I know somebody sees something. It makes me more frustrated to know that I can't help."

"It seems like there's nothing I can do … I can just hope and pray that this person is caught," Thepuxsonnarong said.

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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