Alaska State Troopers have identified a suspect shot and killed after a Parks Highway shooting that wounded a man Friday morning. Checkpoints were set up at Mile 267 and Mile 276 of the Parks, but traffic on the highway is now unrestricted.
According to an AST dispatch, troopers encountered the armed suspect, 34-year-old Atom Ziniewicz of Falls Church, Va., at about noon. Two troopers shot and killed Ziniewicz during an attempt to arrest him.
Fairbanks troopers were informed of the initial shooting, near Mile 270 of the Parks, at about 6:45 a.m. The incident began when Brenton A. Green of Anchorage and Kimberly J. Scharber of Anchorage, both 21, were confronted by Ziniewicz at a cabin.
"The man threatened both victims and shot Green twice. Both Green and Scharber fled the area and reported the incident to Alaska State Troopers," troopers wrote in Friday dispatches. “The male victim received at least one gunshot wound and has been transported to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for treatment. The female was attended to by responding medical personnel but was not transported to a medical facility.”
Troopers’ response to the area includes members of the Special Emergency Reaction Team. Personnel from Clear Air Force Base assisted troopers in setting up the checkpoints.
AST spokesperson Megan Peters said the checkpoints were advisory in nature, with troopers telling drivers not to stop or pick up hitchhikers between them. Drivers were also being told to alert the other checkpoint of any suspicious activity upon leaving the area.
The names of the troopers who fired on Ziniewicz will be withheld for three days, per AST policy.
An autopsy will be performed on Ziniewicz, whose family members have been informed of the incident.
Contact Chris Klint
