Anchorage, Alaska – A 45-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday morning during a confrontation in the parking lot of the Fox Hollow Golf Course & Sports Dome in South Anchorage, authorities confirmed. The incident involved parents of youth soccer players at the facility.
Police have identified the suspect as 36-year-old Luke Charles Simonson, who has been charged with first- and second-degree murder and third-degree assault, according to court documents filed in Anchorage District Court on Sunday. Authorities have not yet released the name of the victim.
Court filings indicate the confrontation began when the mother of a young soccer player yelled at Simonson after he nearly struck her child with his pickup truck. The boy’s father confronted Simonson, leading to a verbal altercation. Around 11:45 a.m., police received multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire in the parking lot. An off-duty officer nearby witnessed Simonson holding a handgun as the victim lay in front of his truck with multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency responders pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Witnesses, including the victim’s wife and children, told police that Simonson “looked for a fight” before the shooting. Dashboard camera footage reportedly shows the victim walking toward Simonson’s vehicle when Simonson exited with a handgun and fired multiple shots.
Simonson told authorities he had been waiting in his truck for his wife and daughter to finish soccer practice and routinely carries a handgun in his console. He claimed he felt threatened during the encounter, though he did not see the victim with a weapon, and admitted to firing several times.
Simonson was taken into custody at the scene. Police continue to investigate, reviewing video footage and witness statements as the case moves forward.