Police search for shooter in suspected Soldotna homicide

Authorities were searching for a suspected shooter involved in a possible homicide in Soldotna on Kalifornsky Beach Road and Andrews Avenue Friday afternoon.

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M. Scott Moon

Alaska State Trooper David Chaffin moves into position at the corner of Kalifornsky Beach Road and Andrews Avenue. Traffic was prevented from passing into the neighborhood at that point.

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M. Scott Moon

An Alaska State Trooper helicopter searches above the Andrews Avenue neighborhood.

"There has been a confirmed death, but we're still investigating," said Trooper spokesperson Beth Ipsen, in Anchorage.

Initial reports indicated that someone had been shot in the head with a sawed-off shotgun. Alaska State Troopers received the call at 1:50 p.m.

As cars backed up on K-beach Road due to an unrelated traffic accident, troopers closed off the K-Beach neighborhood and swarmed the wooded area across the road from the Duck Inn, a local bar and restaurant. A helicopter flew overhead, performing a grid search for the suspect.

One witness, Cindy Stonecypher, said she saw a man run from Andrews Avenue down K-Beach Road towards Soldotna and then stop and shoo cars away as he tried to run back to the scene where the shooting reportedly occurred. He then ran towards Kenai. Stonecypher said she saw no weapon.

She said he wore jeans,  a T-shirt and a baseball cap.