Update on 10/26/23:

At 1:47 AM on October 26, 2023, Alaska State Troopers responded to the area of Joes Drive for a verbal disturbance. Upon arrival AST identified one of the involved individuals as Jesse Jones.  A computer check confirmed Jones had an arrest warrant for murder in the first degree related to an Anchorage Police investigation. Jones was arrested without incident and handed over to APD.

 APD transported Jones to the Anchorage Police Department for questioning by detectives.  Once that process has been completed, Jones will be remanded at the Anchorage Jail on his warrant.

Update on 10/25/23:

The victim has been identified as 34-year-old Josiah Goecker.  Next-of-kin notification procedures have been completed.

Update on 10/24/23:

The suspect in yesterday’s Mockingbird Drive homicide has been identified as 27-year-old Jesse Lee Jones.  Detectives have obtained a warrant for Jones’ arrest for the charges of Murder I, two counts of Murder II, and Assault III. 

Jones’ current whereabouts is unknown.  Anyone with information regarding his location is asked to call Police Dispatch at 3-1-1 (option #1) or 907-786-8900 (option #0).  To remain anonymous, you may leave a tip online at www.AnchorageCrimeStoppers.com.  Jones is 6’00 tall, 175 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.  Jones may be armed and should not be approached.

Update on 10/23/23 at 10:55 PM:

At 3:48 PM Anchorage Police responded to the 5200-block of Mockingbird Drive regarding a shooting.  Upon arrival, police located an adult male inside an apartment building with at least one gunshot wound to the upper body.  He was declared deceased at the scene; his death is being investigated as a homicide.

SWAT responded to conduct a suspect search.  SWAT is currently clearing from the area; the Crime Scene Team will now arrive to process the scene.  There will be a continued police presence in the area while that happens.  All roads have re-opened. 

No arrests have been made and there is no suspect information available for release.  While the motive for the shooting remains under investigation, and leads are being followed up on, police believe this was an isolated event and not random.

Anyone with information regarding this incident, to include surveillance footage of the area, is asked to call APD Dispatch at 3-1-1 (option #1) or 907-786-8900 (option #0).

Original on 10/23/23 at 4:50 PM:

At 3:48 PM on October 23, 2023, Anchorage Police responded to the 5200-block of Mockingbird Drive regarding a shooting.  APD Special Operations has responded to the scene to assist with the suspect search. That work unit includes the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT), the Technical Support Unit (TSU), the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), and/or the Mobile Intervention Team (MIT). Depending on the actions of the suspect, our response may require using a variety of tactics and tools (to include the drone) to apprehend him/her.  This could also involve the deploying of chemical agents; nearby citizens with respiratory illnesses/sensitivities should remain inside and make sure doors and windows are closed.

There is a large police presence throughout the Mockingbird Drive/Alpenhorn Avenue area containing the large apartment complexes.  Please follow officers’ instructions if you are in the area to include evacuation of your home if necessary. Most area residents are being asked to shelter in place.  If you do not need to be in the vicinity, avoid it and seek alternative routes until further notice.

We ask both the public and the media to refrain from posting/publishing photos and/or video of the scene until the situation is over. Showing tactical positions and movements in these types of situations can put the public and officers’ safety at risk.

We appreciate the community's cooperation and understanding during our response, and we will keep you informed of any new developments.

APD Case 23-34537