ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Laquinton Tyrone Dashawn Robbins, 28, has been sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Ralph R. Beistline for possession of firearm in an Anchorage school zone. Robbins pled guilty to the offense in February 2020.
According to court documents, on October 3, 2018, Robbins possessed and discharged a gun on school grounds. Robbins shot another male in the parking lot of Denali Montessori Elementary School, during a time where children were still being dropped off for the school day. The altercation began when Robbins dropped off his girlfriend’s daughter at the school and was confronted by the victim. Their argument ended when Robbins pulled a Sig Sauer .40 caliber handgun from his backpack and shot the victim in the neck at point blank range. The shooting occurred during school hours, causing the school to go into lockdown. The victim has recovered from his life-threatening injuries.
Robbins was sentenced to 40 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, Judge Beistline remarked that this sentence needs to send the message that “We are not going to tolerate bringing guns into school zones.” Additionally, charges of Attempted Murder in the First Degree and Assault in the First Degree remain pending in State of Alaska Superior Court.
The Anchorage Police Department (APD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution in this case. This case was charged in partnership with the Anchorage Municipal Prosecutor’s Office, which, since 2007, has assigned a prosecutor to work as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) on violent crime cases in Anchorage. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers, the former SAUSA.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please visit https://www.justice.gov/ag/about-project-guardian