Anchorage, Alaska - A 16-year-old boy has been arraigned on 16 felony counts in connection with the shooting deaths of two individuals in the remote northwest Alaska village of Point Hope. The teen, represented by a public defender, entered not guilty pleas during the court proceeding held via telephone from jail.
The charges against the teen include two counts each of first- and second-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder, seven counts of assault, and a burglary charge. The incident, which occurred on February 25, resulted in the deaths of two people and injuries to two others.
The names of the victims have not been disclosed, and court documents only identify them by their initials. The judge set an omnibus hearing for May 8 to address pretrial matters in the case.
Details of the shooting in Point Hope, a village located approximately 700 miles northwest of Anchorage, remain limited. Initial reports indicated that police found a man and a woman dead at the scene, with two other men sustaining injuries.
Witnesses reported seeing the teen enter a home with a handgun and begin shooting before fleeing on a four-wheeler. Shortly after the incident, the teen's father brought him to the police station, where he reportedly confessed to the shooting in the presence of his parents.
Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the shooting, leaving the community of Point Hope, with a population of about 675, grappling with the tragic event. The village, known as Tikigaq in Inupiaq, is situated on a spit of land along the Chukchi Sea and is home to the Tikigaq School, also known as the 'Home of the Harpooners.'
