Man charged in Compass Academy shooting pleads guilty to killing 25-year-old

IDAHO FALLS — A 20-year-old man has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the killing of a 25-year-old man in the Compass Academy parking lot.

Gabriel Perkins pleaded guilty to felony voluntary manslaughter in the death of Alex Barber and aggravated battery in the shooting of another man on Feb. 12, 2024.

Obituary | Alexander Blade Barber

Perkins was initially charged and pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement, felony aggravated battery with a deadly weapon enhancement, felony leaving the scene of an injury accident and felony concealing evidence.

According to a news release from Bonneville County Prosecutor Randy Neal, Perkins pleaded guilty Wednesday to the amended charge and felony aggravated battery in exchange for the prosecution agreeing to recommend a minimum of 17 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison at sentencing.

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Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced in front of District Judge Dane Watkins Jr. on June 17.

Cases are ongoing against two other defendants, Aaron Murdoch and Taylor Aughenbaugh.

Murdoch was charged with felony aggravated assault and is expected to appear for a jury trial on July 7.

Aughenbaugh was charged with two counts of felony aggravated battery using a deadly weapon and one count of felony concealing or destroying evidence. He is expected to appear for a jury trial on May 27.

Skylar Andra, 20, was charged with felony leaving the scene of an injury accident. He accepted a plea agreement on March 3, and is expected to be sentenced on May 12.

The fight

A fight between two large groups occurred around 1 a.m. on Feb. 12, 2024, in the Compass Academy parking lot in Idaho Falls.

Police reports state an “ongoing argument” between Perkins and Aughenbaugh led to the groups meeting in the parking lot “to settle it.”

A fight broke out among the group, causing a man to lose consciousness and fall to the ground near Perkins’ truck. A video obtained by police reportedly shows Aughenbaugh pulling out a handgun and shooting “at least two times,” hitting Murdoch in the leg and another man in the upper back.

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Court documents say the man shot in the back appeared to be trying to step in front of Aughenbaugh as he was shooting. The video reportedly shows Perkins hiding behind the tailgate of his truck and Barber hiding at the front of the same truck on the driver’s side.

Police say the video then shows Perkins stand up from behind the tailgate and shoot Barber in the head with a handgun.

Perkins then moves around to the driver’s side, where he points the handgun at the man who was shot in the back, who was lying by the rear wheel of the truck. He then gets back in the truck, but turns around and shoots the man in the leg before driving away, according to the video.

As he was driving away, police say, Perkins ran over the upper half of another man’s body, which was on the ground. Perkins reportedly did not call 911 “or make an effort to report this event.”

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The man who lost consciousness and was run over was taken to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center by ambulance and admitted to the ICU with severe injuries. Barber was pronounced dead at the hospital. The other two victims were also hospitalized at EIRMC for injuries.

Perkins reportedly told police in an interview that he “reached over the tailgate and shot the gun” but never mentioned that he thought Barber was armed or a threat.

Though Aughenbaugh and Murdoch have been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean they committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty.

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