No arrests in Fairbanks Super 8 shootout
Published Thursday, October 22, 2009
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Fairbanks police are remaining tight-lipped about the status of their investigation into a shootout earlier this week that injured three people.
Officers were called to the Super 8 Motel just after 1 a.m. Tuesday for a report of shots fired on the third floor after an apparent drug deal went bad.
Police say four men from the Fairbanks area, three brandishing handguns, entered the room and ordered eight people visiting from Anchorage to the ground. A struggle ensued when one of the Anchorage residents refused to comply.
At least a dozen shots were fired, and brothers Daniel McKinney, 26, and Willy Graham, 19, both of Fairbanks, remain hospitalized for treatment of gunshot wounds.
Peter S. Khamphanh, 19, was struck once in the leg; he was released from the hospital Tuesday morning.
Police said they have identified everyone involved in the shootout. As of Wednesday afternoon, no arrests had been made, and no charges were filed.
“It’s an ongoing investigation,” Lt. Dan Welborn said. “There are a lot of different angles we’re working.”
He declined to give a timeline of when arrests might be made, citing the delicate nature of the case.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Fairbanks police investigations unit at 450-6550.
Community Discussion
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wow ...
these drug dealers
must be some terrible shots...
a dozen people in the room
and only 3 injuries ..
somebody should be spending some time at the range ..
I still say there weren't that many people in the room. I don't think you can even fit 12 people in the rooms at that hotel.
A dozen shots fired
How can this be? A shootout in town. They know the participants. No arrests?
What?? No arrests?? You can't be serious!
Why bother - they will just get a plea deal. Look at what the drive by shooter in todays paper got. 3 years suspended & 4 years probation, Yay.
OMG,a shootout at the Super8 ball and nobody gets arrested? a simple DUI gets arrested on the spot with no bail. Its nice to know theres 12 people and there friends out there armed, and cant shoot straight.
No arrests? Drug deal, guns, and wounded people, but no arrests. Only in Fairbanks!
Hey Idiots-
Do you know that when a criminal is arrested under State charges while still in the hospital, the State is then required to assume resposibility for all of their medical care? (including all costs)
While it might make you feel good to "slap the cuffs on," it's usually the much smarter course of action to wait until the patient is released from the hospital before arresting them!!
its hard to aim with the sights sideways
Has the commenter above implied the people in the hospital shot themselves?
I'm hoping there are really good reasons those involved in this shooting haven't yet been arrested because it is completely unacceptable that people should be shooting other people, or shooting at other people, in a hotel & in a very public & accessible place, in Fairbanks & getting away with it. Hope they find whomever it is they need to arrest.
Woah there Augie, yer talkin too much sense for these idiots to understand. Thars a conspiracy afoot here and these armchair-judges and self-declared "experts" know better than you, I and everybody else anyway. Don't worry tho- they'll quickly move on to the next conspiracy on their lists after the hospital releases the criminals to the authorities.
with shoot outs getting more and more common and our police force unable to get a handle on it i guess everyone had better start packing to protect yourself as the police only investigate a crime, never stop one. just a sidenote if the judges keep approving a plea bargain agreement you have no one in jail and all the lowlifes out on the street keeping lawyers and judges busy and the police asking for more people to employ.
You're just trying to cause trouble magilla.
Here's some "reasons." You decide if they are good or not. Arrests trigger many things including the speedy trial timeline, the duty to provide medical care, right to counsel etc. Also, don't discount the fact that some of the people involved may be confidential informants or involved in federal cases and the cops are trying to sort that mess out. They know everyone in the room.
I'm just taking a guess that most of the people involved are on probation or bail release for one thing or another. I'm also taking aguess that being in a shot up hotel room full of drugs is a violation of several of the terms of relase. Those who were on probation or bail can be held on the violation without new charges being filed. So while there is no "arrest" they are still in custody.
Alaskaman100, I agree with most of your reasons and have my own to add. Once the investigation is complete, felony charges will be presented to a grand jury who will then vote to forward the cases for prosecution. Arrests warrants will be issued for those indicted and then it's in the DA's hands. Arresting them on the spot sounds like the right thing to do, but it may mean that they don't get charged with all that's possible or may interfere with a current investigation or that the state (we taxpayers) gets to foot all their expenses.
DNM - Your readers seem to be wanting a little more detailed crime coverage - not just reprinting the press releases from the police. Is it a lot to ask to you actually dig into some of these stories. How many of these people are in custody even if not arrested?
Often times the online comments have more detailed information than the underlying article.
Good posts, Augie, Alaskman100, and 6burgh!!
The 2 in the hospital certainly aren't going anywhere, or posing a risk to the public, for the time being. The 1 guy from Anch is most probably in custody for parole violations and missing his court date. Not enough info, to say much about the rest. A little more detailed reporting would certainly be appreciated and perhaps calm public fears.
The possiblity that there maybe informants involved does somewhat worry me, because LE departments [less FPD than Troopers and Feds, though] have kind of a rep. for allowing violent offenders to continue to endanger the public, and their offenses to go unaddressed, in exchange for the *possibility* of assistence in making [relatively minor] busts of other [sometimes nonviolent] offenders. NOT a good trade-off, in my opinion.
The comments from the discussion over the last 24 hours on the first article of the shootout has been deleted and cut off. I'm guessing I went too far detailing a partial list of the crack houses in town.
Oops, found it
I am greatly disturbed by the nature of the incident ("crime would be used in this sentence if an ARREST would have been implemented!"). No arrests - guns - drugs - etc....Knowing where these individuals live, I wonder why law enforcement does not just storm the home, collect the goods and arrest them all! They are clearly a danger to society.
It is likely that each of these individuals has been in custody or in some type of treatment and the local police know where to find them when it comes time for arrests.
It is really sad that these young men are so caught up in the gang lifestyle that they really don't know what else to do. These guys won't be done until they are either locked up for life or dead. I hate to say it but the sooner the better. Hopefully they won't hurt too many bystanders along the way.
I was out walking my dog about the time they were shooting- sounded like a string of firecrackers going off. I'm off of Geist Rd. kind of a distance away.
Anyone else in favor of bringing back the public stockade? Bind them hand, foot, and neck for 3 days where everyone can see them. Yes, throwing of rotten eggs and vegetables would be permitted; the birds have to be fed.
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