Anchorage police say Sunday’s shooting at a Walmart store in a busy mall that left two people dead and officers evacuated was a murder-suicide.
A separate shooting in Mountain View earlier that day remains under investigation.
In Tuesday’s update on the Walmart shooting near Dimond Center Mall, police said 29-year-old Saina Fa’atoafe shot and killed a woman in the parking lot outside the store Sunday after 5 p.m. He later announced that he had taken his own life.
Police declined to identify the woman, citing domestic violence as a factor, and police spokeswoman Lenny Oistad declined to discuss further details of the incident Tuesday morning.
The Anchorage Daily News reported Monday that Walmart officials said the woman was an employee and was on break when she was killed. The company was offering bereavement counseling to employees following the shooting.
Anchorage police are also investigating the death of 33-year-old Matajofa J. Cione, who was shot near North Blagau Street and Thompson Avenue early Sunday morning. Sione was identified in Tuesday’s latest update on the shooting.
“This is an ongoing investigation. Police believe all parties involved have been contacted,” police said. “No charges have been filed.”
Oystad declined Tuesday to answer detailed questions about Sione’s shooting, but said domestic violence was not a factor.
The Walmart shooting comes less than a day after a second domestic violence murder-suicide in Wasilla. Alaska State Police say a 45-year-old man shot and killed his 31-year-old girlfriend and her 7-year-old child. Monday’s son before he committed suicide.
If you are a victim of domestic violence and are looking for resources, please call AWAIC’s 24-hour support line at (907) 272-0100.
You can find a complete list of shelters and victim service providers in Alaska. here.
Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter for Alaska Public Media.please contact him cklint@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Chris here.