Anchorage Daily News

Anchorage police have identified the victim in a shooting death in downtown Anchorage early Sunday as Sgt. Evan Lee Minnear, 24, a military police officer based at Fort Richardson.

Minnear was shot around 1 a.m. Sunday after an altercation outside the Woodshed Bar on Third Avenue. He died at an Anchorage hospital about four hours later.

Vongdevane Vongthongdy, 26, of Anchorage was arrested Sunday on charges of second-degree murder. He was also charged with misconduct involving weapons in the 3rd and 4th degree.

Lt. Dave Parker said more information about the shooting would be available this afternoon after the suspect's first court appearance. It appears the two men didn't know each other, Parker said.

Minnear was from Anderson, Ind. He enlisted in the Army in January 2003. His brigade had returned in November from the National Training Center at Fort Irwin in Southern California. He also served 15 months in Iraq, returning in February.

He leaves behind his mother, Julie Rushton; brother, James Minnear; and grandfather, Harry Evans, police said. A Fort Richardson spokesman said officials also are trying to locate Minnear's father.

Reporter Lisa Demer can be reached at ldemer@adn.com and 257-4390.

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