An off-duty state trooper tackled a man fleeing the scene, initially believed to be the shooter, who was taken into custody by police and questioned. But police say the man was not involved in the shooting -- he was a friend of Matos.
"Oftentimes when we respond initially to a call, there's a lot of emotions that go on," said Anchorage Police Department spokesperson Marlene Lammers. "And until detectives proceed through the evidence and everything, perhaps some misinformation may be relayed."
Even though police no longer consider the shooting gang-related, Dimond Center shoppers say they're uncomfortable ruling it out.
"I think there is a lot of violence, and I don't know how you can rule out gang-related," said shopper Larry Wells.
While nobody else was injured in the shooting, people say they're on edge about visiting the state's largest mall, which attracts 12 million people a year.
"That's what makes it more alarming is that, you know, any kid could get caught in the crossfire," said shopper Lisa Paesani. "My kids are at the age where they're starting to want to go to the mall by themselves, and I don't want them to now."
"It makes me not want to go to the Dimond Center at all, really," Wells said. "I come to this side of town all the time, it's one of the big places to shop. For stuff like that to happen, you never know when it's going to happen."
With over a dozen witnesses' statements on record and videotape from nearby stores, investigators are hopeful they'll make an arrest soon.
Detectives are combing through surveillance footage to see if they can identify the shooter. The suspect is described as a light-skinned adult black man, possibly Hispanic, about 6 feet tall weighing 220 to 240 pounds. He was wearing an oversized white sweatshirt and a white baseball hat, and witnesses say he was wearing a fake wig and mustache.
If you have any information, call Crimestoppers at 561-7867.
Contact Jackie Bartz at jbartz@ktuu.com
