Anchorage police ask for public's help in fatal shooting of 18-year-old

In the early hours of July 30, 18-year-old Elijah Zeller was brought to an Anchorage hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. He died minutes later, according to police.

No suspect has been identified in what police are calling a homicide, and the Anchorage Police Department is asking for the public's help.

"We're kind of making our plea to the public at this point," said Anchorage police spokesperson Jennifer Castro.

Zeller was born in Anchorage but had lived in Red Devil, a remote community about 160 miles northeast of Bethel, until middle school, his twin sister Angelique Zeller told Alaska Dispatch News. Angelique said she had no idea why her brother was killed.

Police are trying to piece together the circumstances leading to Zeller's shooting, Castro said. They don't know where in Anchorage Zeller was shot, and they are hoping information about a party that night may provide new information.

On the same night that Zeller died, a shooting occurred at a party on the 5000 block of Cape Seville Drive in south Anchorage, according to Castro.

"There had been this really large party at this residence, it sounds like someone's parents were out of town," Castro said. Police were told there were more than 100 people at the party, many of them young adults and teenagers.

Around 1:30 a.m., police received a noise complaint about the party. About half an hour later, they got a call that shots had been fired. Police responded in less than 10 minutes, Castro said, and most of the party-goers had already dispersed.

Police aren't sure if the party had already died down, or people left en masse after the shooting, Castro said. Officers found shell casings at the scene.

"If people had seen Zeller at this party, they should be contacting us … (and) really truly understand that this is anonymous," Castro said.

So far in 2016, there have been 22 homicide victims in 19 incidents in Anchorage, Castro said. Of these, there are five cases where suspects haven't been identified: a double homicide at Point Woronzof; the death of Marcus Cosby Jr. in Eagle River; a double homicide on Ship Creek Trail; the fatal shooting of Treyveonkindell Bobby Dwayne Thompson; and the shooting of Elijah Zeller.

Anonymous tips can be submitted online through Anchorage Crime Stoppers or by calling an anonymous call taker at 907-561-STOP.

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