Juneau police detectives are continuing to investigate an argument that led to shots being fired at Switzer Village Mobile Park early Wednesday morning. No one was injured and no arrests have been made, said Juneau Police Department Lt. David Campbell.
Officers responded to multiple calls of shots being fired inside the mobile home park at approximately 6:35 a.m., Campbell said.
“It was a rapid series of several gunshots,” he said. “We were on scene relatively quickly and determined the shots came from Forget-Me-Not Street. The area was cordoned off and we believe several trailers potentially were involved.”
Officers could be seen marking and photographing some evidence in the middle of the road late Wednesday morning. The area was re-opened to the public at about noon.
Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School is nearby, at the back end of the mobile home park, but opted to maintain a regular schedule.
“Principal Molly Yerkes became aware of the police activity in the area and so she contacted the Juneau Police Department before school started, to find out if there was any action the school should be taking to maintain a secure environment,” said school district spokeswoman Kristin Bartlett. “She was advised her school could proceed with normal operations, so they are operating on a normal schedule today.”
Bartlett said there are a range of options schools could consider, depending on the seriousness of the situation, including a “stay put,” where outside doors are locked but the school keeps operating, up to a lockdown where normal operations cease and students would be locked inside classrooms or possibly evacuated.
Police officers conducted a neighborhood canvas and spoke with multiple people in the area throughout the day, Campbell said. Search warrants were served on one residence and one vehicle.
The investigation indicates that one person fired several rounds from a handgun during on argument on Forget-Me-Not Street, Campbell said in a press release. Shell casings from the handgun were recovered, but the police department is not releasing information about the caliber of the firearm or how many shots were fired.
Police officers are still actively investigating this case and are trying to determine exactly what happened and who was involved. Illegal drugs appear to be a contributing factor to this case, Campbell said.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with more information from police.
• Contact reporter Liz Kellar at 523-2246 or at liz.kellar@juneauempire.com.
Juneau Police Department investigators at the scene of a shooting incident at Switzer Mobile Home Park Wednesday morning. (Liz Kellar | Juneau Empire)
