Man dies in shooting at Government Hill apartment building

Anchorage officers responding to reports of gunfire in the Government Hill neighborhood late Monday discovered a wounded man who was later declared dead at the scene.

"No arrests or charges have been made in the case at this time," police wrote in a statement Tuesday.

Anchorage police Tuesday identified the victim as 29-year-old Ian Alex Bobich. Staff at Noble Mechanical LLC, a Wasilla-based HVAC contractor, said Bobich had briefly worked there.

Police received several citizen calls just before 11 p.m. that shots were heard in the area of Elm Street and Bluff Drive in the neighborhood north of downtown Anchorage. Bobich was found outside an apartment building at 831 Elm St.

Charles Gibson, a retiree from printing work on Fort Richardson who lives in another portion of the Elm Street building, said by phone Tuesday that he had just gotten home at the time of the shooting. He and another bystander quickly went inside.

"I just got out of my car and heard four or five shots and I just thought someone was shooting in the air," Gibson said. "And this other person just came into the building, because when other people shoot you duck and go for cover."

After he heard the shots, Gibson said, he looked around to see if anybody had been struck but didn't see a body.

Gibson called the area a quiet neighborhood, where children play outside and residents greet one another during walks.

"Whatever happened is a tragic thing, because I didn't know people here did that sort of thing," Gibson said. "It is peaceful up here — was peaceful, now I should say."

Police asked that anyone who might have information about the shooting to contact Anchorage Crime Stoppers at 907-561-STOP or www.anchoragecrimestoppers.com.

Monday night's death marks the 28th homicide case of 2016.

In a separate incident just before 10:30 p.m., a male was critically wounded by gunfire at the Holiday service station near 68th Avenue and Lake Otis Parkway in South Anchorage.