Teenager charged with two murders after shooting in Native Alaska village
The shooting rocked the residents of Point Hope, a remote Inupiat whaling village that sits above the Arctic Circle
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A 16-year-old has been charged with two murders after a shooting in a remote Alaska village.
The teenager, Guy Nashookpuk, is accused of fatally shooting a man and a woman and wounding two other men Sunday night, according to Alaska Public Media.
The identities of the victims have not been publicly released. Officials have not yet spoken to a possible motive for the shooting, nor if Mr Nashookpuk had any relationship with the victims.
Alaska state law allows minors who are 16 and older to be tried on murder charges in adult court, according to The Associated Press.
The shooting took place in Point Hope, an Inupiat whaling community above the Arctic Circle with a population of less than 900 people.
According to charging documents obtained by the Associated Press, witnesses said they saw Mr Nashookpuk walk into a residence with a handgun and start shooting, then flee in a four-wheeler.
Less than 10 minutes later, his father brought him to the police station and said “that his son had told him that he did it.”
The teen reportedly admitted to the shooting during an interview with police, during which his parents were present.
He has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and another two counts of attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty and is being represented by a public defender.
In a press release, North Slope Borough Mayor Josiah Patkotak reassured residents the shooting had been an “isolated incident” and there was “no ongoing risk to community safety.”
The Point Hope Tikigaq School was closed on Monday “out of respect for the grieving process and to provide our community with the time to come together in support of those affected.”
“In the days ahead, we will come together as a community to heal and support one another,” the mayor said.
In a statement on Twitter, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he was “devastated by the tragic shooting.”
“Our hearts ache for the families and residents affected by this senseless act,” he said. “We will continue to pray for healing and justice.”
The suspect is being held on $1m bail and a preliminary hearing will be held on 8 March.