A $10 bet almost turned deadly and resulted in Assault and Attempted Assault charges against one roommate and Assault charges for another in North Anchorage on Sunday night.

It all began over a dispute whether the nearby Carrs grocery store was open. A bet was made by the victim, identified in the charging document as Mahmoud Soud and accepted by his two roommates 25-year-old James Smith and 23-year-old Kendrick Matthews.

As it would turn out, the store was open, but Soud reneged on his bet and refused to pay up. When the three returned to their trailer on Hoyt Street, the dispute escalated and a handgun was produced by Smith and pointed at Soud’s head. A fight broke out between Smith and Soud and Soud ended up in the bedroom.

When Soud re-emerged from the bedroom, the fight would continue and the gun would end up on the floor. But, the gun did not remain there for long, the other roommate, Matthew, would pick the gun up from the floor and hand the weapon back to Smith who “pointed it at the victim’s head and pulled the trigger. The loaded gun malfunctioned and did not fire,” according to the police report.

It was then that Matthew punched Soud as the fight continued with Soud eventually gaining control of the weapon according to the report. Soud pointed the weapon at Smith telling him he did not want to shoot, then headed out the door. “As the victim was running away from the trailer, Smith gave chase and struck him with a metal handle from a floor jack,” the police report would state.

Soud called 911 from a nearby Holiday store/gas station on Bragaw. When police arrived, they documented that Soud had injuries to his face and head as well as his neck. When police found the weapon, it was confirmed to be loaded.

The police report said that “Smith was charged with attempted murder,” but those charges would later be downgraded to one count of Felony Assault I, two counts of Assault III, and Assault IV. Matthews would also be charged with Assault IV.

Both Smith and Matthews were arrested and taken to the Anchorage Jail where Smith was held without bail and Matthews bail was set at $15,000 plus a Court Approved Third Party.