CASPER — Charges are expected in at least one of two shootings in Casper on Sunday while the family of a man killed at an apartment complex is pleading with the city’s young people to “put the guns away.”
“You all have an opportunity to change your lives for the better,” the family of Anicio Bernard wrote in a message on a GoFundMe campaign. Bernard was killed in a double shooting at Foxhill Apartments early Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, Natrona County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kiera Hett said Wednesday that she expected charges will be filed against a 21-year-old man involved in a separate shooting near the same time Sunday in the 100 block South Washington Street.
In that incident, the 16-year-old friend of the 21-year-old was shot, allegedly as the result of “mishandling” a handgun, the sheriff’s office reports.
Investigators met with the Natrona County District Attorney’s office about the case Wednesday. Hett said she did not have a timeline on when any charges might be filed.
Washington Street Shooting
Natrona County Sheriff’s Office investigators were called into the South Washington Street case by Casper police, who needed assistance because they were dealing with the double shooting at Foxhill Apartments.
The incident began with a 911 call Sunday just after 7 p.m. informing a dispatcher that a juvenile was shot outside of a residence.
Once police arrived, they found the 16-year-old victim with a gunshot wound.
He was initially treated at Banner Wyoming Medical Center and then flown to Denver Children’s Hospital.
Hett said Wednesday that the victim suffered “a single shot to the head” from a handgun. She did not know his condition, but he “remains in the hospital.”
The Sheriff’s Office initially reported the “mishandling” of a gun by a 21-year-old may have led to the 16-year-old friend being shot.
Hett said Wednesday the “mishandling” terminology is specific and deliberate on the part of the department and will become clearer once additional information can be released.
Foxhill Apartments
In the Foxhill Apartments shooting investigation, calls to the Casper Police Department were not immediately returned.
The incident at the apartment complex in the 1900 block of South Missouri Avenue claimed the life of Bernard, 20, of Casper and sent another male to the hospital with a gunshot wound.
Casper Police responded to the apartments at 6:50 p.m. after callers to 911 reported gunshots and disturbances at an apartment.
A witness at the apartment complex told Cowboy State Daily she heard several gunshots and went out of the apartment building to find Bernard at her feet, wearing a ski mask, with a weapon still in his hand.
Casper Police reported Monday that Bernard’s death resulted from a confrontation and exchange of gunfire inside an apartment at the complex. The door to an apartment in Building 23 was taped and sealed with police tape during a Cowboy State Daily visit Monday.
“Numerous other individuals were present at the time of the shooting, they were all subsequently located and interviewed by detectives,” Casper Police reported.
Police believe the incident was isolated but were executing search warrants and following up on new information Monday.
A GoFundMe page has been established to help Bernard’s family cover funeral expenses. A message from the family posted on the page characterized their son as a person who “didn’t always make the best decisions.”
“But he was so loved by his entire family despite any of his flaws,” they wrote. “Anicio was given the tools, the guidance, and the love he needed to succeed, unfortunately Anicio couldn’t get himself out of the lifestyle he was in. … He wanted to be successful, but he just couldn’t find his way out.”
The family sent a message to the community’s “youth/young adults” to use the incident involving their son as a “learning lesson.”
“Please, for the love of God, CHOOSE life,” they wrote.
The family asked those involved in the ongoing youth and weapons incidents and culture in the city to “walk away from the darkness.”
“Please know that if you choose to stay in that lifestyle just know this is the end result, there is no other way out,” the message continues. “Please make the change while you’re still here so your families aren’t left behind to pick up the pieces when you’re gone.”
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at [email protected].
