Police stage ‘increased presence’ at schools, but find no 'specific or credible threats' towards students or staff
Alaska State Troopers are looking for a North Pole man connected to a fatal shooting during a party early Saturday morning in Fairbanks.
Local law enforcement is worried about threats of further violence in the aftermath of the shooting. And as a precaution, they assigned several officers to spend the day at two district schools in response to online threats.
Trooper spokesperson Austin McDaniel says the agency hopes the public will help them locate 18-year-old Darius Morgan, who witnesses claim had a handgun at a party off Farmers Loop Road.
“Darius Morgan has an active felony warrant for his arrest and is also a person of interest for a violent crime that occurred in the Fairbanks area over the weekend,” McDaniel said.
According to a charging document, a Trooper investigator said if Morgan had a gun, that would violate probation conditions that prohibit him from possessing a weapon after he was convicted of robbery last year. So the investigator asked the court to issue a warrant for Morgan’s arrest.
Fairbanks Police Department spokesperson Teal Soden says area police responded to online threats of retaliatory violence at two local schools with what they called an “increased presence” at the schools to reassure the community.
“This weekend we were made aware of reports circulating on social media that suggested possible threats towards Lathrop High School and Ryan Middle School,” she said. “After following up on these reports, we've not identified any specific or credible threats directed towards students or staff.”
Soden said the increased police presence at the schools was conducted out of what she said was “an abundance of caution.”
“ The Fairbanks Police Department takes all reports of threats or school violence very seriously,” she said. “We work with closely with other law enforcement agencies and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to assess and respond to any potential risks.”
Social media posts suggested friends of the victim planned to take revenge against Morgan and possibly his friends. McDaniel declined to say whether Morgan or the victim were Lathrop students. He said there’s a lot of concern over the shooting and rumors of retaliation.
But he said police can’t say much now because of an ongoing investigation.
“ We understand there's a lot of requests from the public for more information about the incident that occurred this weekend in the Fairbanks area,” he said.
“In an effort to not influence witness statements as we continue to interview witnesses from the incident," he added, "we are not releasing additional information at this time. Our number-one priority is right now locating Darius Morgan.”
A Fairbanks North Star Borough spokesperson did not immediately respond to phone calls and emails Monday afternoon.
McDaniel said anyone who sees Morgan should not approach him, but instead call 911 immediately.
He said anyone with information about Morgan’s location should call the Alaska State Troopers at (907) 451-5100. He said tips can be submitted anonymously through the AK tips smartphone app or online at dps.alaska.gov/tips.
