A 15-year-old boy shot and killed three siblings at a home near Fairbanks, Alaska, and was found dead with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities announced Wednesday.
Alaska State Troopers in a statement said they received a report of shots being fired at a Fairbanks home on Tuesday afternoon. The report came from a neighbor, troopers spokesperson Tim DeSpain said.
Responding troopers found four children dead from apparent gunshot wounds. The children’s parents were not home when the shooting occurred, the troopers said.
DeSpain said the children who are dead were ages 5, 8, 17 and 15.
Troopers said their investigation shows a 15-year-old boy shot three siblings and then shot himself. DeSpain said the question of motive is part of the investigation.
The bodies were being sent to the state medical examiner’s office.
Three other children were at the home and were not injured, the statement said. DeSpain said the children who were not injured are all under the age of 7. He said all the children were siblings.
DeSpain said the gun was a “family gun but beyond that, it’s all still part of the ongoing investigation.” He could not say if the 15-year-old had had any previous interactions with law enforcement, saying that would be part of the investigation.
Troopers said the state Office of Children’s Services had been notified. A spokesperson for the state Department of Family and Community Services did not immediately comment.
Fairbanks is in central Alaska, about 360 miles north of Anchorage.
