Pierce County man who shot, killed man running from him outside bar is sentenced
A Pierce County man who was drunk when he fatally shot a stranger who was running away from him outside a Graham bar has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Alec Albert Ausbun, 27, pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree murder for the death of 25-year-old Danny Stanley. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Susan Adams handed him 183 months the same day, which included a 60-month firearm-sentencing enhancement.
Ausbun shot Stanley after the two argued in the bar’s parking lot March 6, 2022, according to court records. Ausbun arrived at the bar already intoxicated with a friend, then drank shots. When they walked into the parking lot to leave, according to the probable cause document, Ausbun and his friend argued over who would drive.
Stanley was also in the parking lot with friends. The defendant’s attorney, Michael Stewart, wrote in a sentencing memorandum that Stanley’s friend shouted at Ausbun to be quiet. An argument ensued that turned physical, and afterward, according to the defense attorney, Stanley threatened to kill Ausbun.
Ausbun retrieved a handgun from his friend’s vehicle. Meanwhile, Stanley ran from Ausbun down an alley. Ausbun fired in Stanley’s direction at least three times and struck him once in the head.
Stanley was shot from about 180 feet away. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff’s deputies responded at about 1:50 a.m. According to the probable cause document, Ausbun rode away from the scene on an ATV. Deputies said they located and arrested him with the help of thermal imagery. Ausbun had no prior felony convictions.
Ausbun meant to scare Stanley from coming back, according to Stewart. The defense attorney said obstructions and lighting made it nearly impossible to see down the alley, and he described the fatal bullet as a “one-in-a-million shot in the dark.”
“Mr. Ausbun is deeply remorseful for the unintentional killing of Mr. Stanley,” Stewart wrote. “He recognizes the pain and suffering he has caused to numerous people who loved Mr. Stanley.”
Family and friends of Stanley spoke during Ausbun’s sentencing hearing, according to court records. In victim impact statements filed in 2022, cousins of Stanley called Ausbun a “monster” and a “troublemaker.”
“Danny doesn’t get to come home to hug his mom and dad or his brothers or family/friends,” one cousin, Crystal St. Clair, wrote in an email to the court. “Danny doesn’t get to become a father, Danny doesn’t get to grow the business he created to make a better life for himself.”
In a statement included in the defense’s sentencing memo, Ausbun said later in life he wants to help teach younger men how quickly alcohol can take over your life and show them there is a life outside of drinking. Ausbun said now that he’s sober, he can be his best self.
“The person I was that day is not the person that I am today,” Ausbun said. “The amount of alcohol that I drank that day is absurd. It’s just not who I am now. I am nowhere near that person.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
