A 40-year-old Black man named Javon Diggs died on the evening of February 16, 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska. He was found inside the Barratt Inn at 4610 Spenard Road after police responded to reports of a shooting at about 8:54 PM. He had sustained gunshot wounds and was declared dead shortly after officers arrived. Diggs had been an employee of the hotel.
Investigators say prior to the shooting there was a verbal disturbance between Diggs and a 20-year-old man identified as Theandrea
Ignacio Luster. Luster, along with his mother, sister, and girlfriend, had gone to the hotel partly because his mother believed Diggs owed her money. During a confrontation, according to Luster's statements in charging documents, Diggs shoved his mother and then reached toward his belt line. At that point Luster said he retrieved a 9mm pistol and shot Diggs repeatedly.
On February 17, 2019, Luster was arrested in connection with the death. He was later charged with first- and second-degree murder, as well as multiple weapons offenses: Misconduct Involving a Weapon II and Misconduct Involving a Weapon III. Luster was remanded to the Anchorage Jail.
