Crime & Courts

Gunfire erupts during argument over painting equipment, Anchorage police say

Anchorage police on Wednesday arrested a 53-year-old man they say shot a co-worker during an argument over painting equipment.

Jeffrey Skillingstad and two other men were part of a painting crew working on condos on the 6700 block of Lunar Drive in East Anchorage, according to a statement from Renee Oistad, police spokesperson.

Oistad said police were called to the area at 10:17 a.m. Skillingstad had shot one of his co-workers, once in the torso and once in the arm. He then fled in a white van, she said.

The co-worker, whom police have not identified, was taken to the hospital in serious condition. By 4 p.m., Oistad said, the man was stable and "expected to fully recover."

Within minutes of the 911 call, police found Skillingstad in the van roughly three miles away, near East 11th Court and Friendly Lane, Oistad said.

At 10:28 a.m., Skillingstad was arrested, she said. He was charged with first-degree assault, third-degree assault, misconduct involving a weapon and reckless endangerment, according to police.

He was taken to the Anchorage Correctional Complex. His bail was set at $250,000 plus a third-party custodian, Oistad said.

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Neighborhood resident George Avila said he was cooking in his kitchen when he heard two pops.

"It's shocking," he said. "I thought I was totally safe here. I thought I could leave my door unlocked. I thought I could come outside and not have to worry about that. But somebody was shot in my front yard, basically. It puts me on edge."

Tegan Hanlon

Tegan Hanlon was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News between 2013 and 2019. She now reports for Alaska Public Media.

Megan Edge

Megan Edge is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News.

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