James T. Newman, a 23-year-old White man, was shot and killed in Juneau, Alaska, on the night of July 6, 2023. Police received a call at about 10:17 p.m. and responded to the 9100 block of Cinema Drive in the Mendenhall Valley. There, in the parking lot of the Chinook Apartment complex, they found Newman deceased from a gunshot wound to the head. At the time, his death was the city's most recent fatal non-police shooting.
Investigators pieced together the final moments of Newman's life
using surveillance footage from a nearby resident. The video showed Newman riding a bicycle and approaching the driver's side of a black Dodge pickup truck. He appeared to speak with the person in the driver's seat for a short time before he suddenly collapsed to the ground. The truck then drove away from the scene. A witness who heard gunshots told police they saw the truck leaving and identified the driver, with whom they had previous interactions, by the nickname "Dre."
Juneau Police Department officers and detectives worked through the night on the case. They soon located a black Dodge pickup matching the description parked behind The Alaska Club on Riverside Drive. Officers observed what appeared to be blood on the driver's side door, strengthening the connection to the shooting. The investigation led them to a residence in the 9100 block of Riverwood Drive.
On the morning of July 7, less than 12 hours after the shooting, police contacted 44-year-old Andre P. Lawrence at the home and detained him. That afternoon, Lawrence was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was transported to the Lemon Creek Correctional Center and held without bail. Authorities announced that with the suspect in custody, there was no ongoing threat to public safety.
Andre Lawrence later pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the second degree for the killing of James Newman Jr. On December 17, 2025, Juneau Superior Court Judge Amy Mead sentenced the 46-year-old Lawrence to 60 years in prison with 35 years suspended. He will serve 25 years and then be subject to 10 years of supervised probation, with conditions related to substance abuse and mental health treatment. At the hearing, Newman's grandmother spoke about the irreparable harm Lawrence's actions caused to both families. The judge noted that two families had been irrevocably damaged and that Lawrence’s failure to address his own trauma had put others at risk.
