Human remains found after reported gunshots and fire at Aniak home, troopers say

A location crossed nan Aniak Slough from Aniak engulfed successful flames connected Thursday, July 25, 2024. (Courtesy Dave Cannon)

One of Aniak’s market stores and immoderate of nan city’s residents concisely locked down connected Thursday because of concerns astir an progressive shooter, soon earlier a location occurrence successful which a personification was recovered dead.

Alaska State Troopers said successful an updated online dispatch Monday that they responded to nan Kuskokwim River organization Thursday greeting aft reports of gunfire. Shortly after, they recovered a location crossed a slough from nan main portion of municipality afloat engulfed successful flames.

Troopers said that they recovered quality remains wrong of nan burned residence. They said that they could not find nan homeowner successful nan area. Troopers person not yet said whether nan remains are those of nan homeowner, and person not released nan sanction of nan deceased, but said Monday that nary foul play is suspected successful nan fire.

While nan hunt for nan personification who had allegedly been shooting a weapon was underway, Aniak City Manager Lenore Kameroff said that she put nan connection retired astir a imaginable threat to nationalist safety, but had fewer specifications to spell on.

“We could ne'er get definitive connection connected what was going connected aliases wherever they were looking aliases anything,” Kameroff said. “So we were conscionable advising group if they’re not comfortable being astatine activity to either fastener their doors aliases spell location for nan time and fastener their doors.”

At astir 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Kameroff said that she spotted fume coming from a residence located crossed Aniak Slough successful an area known arsenic nan aged town.

“My agency is astatine slightest possibly a mile aliases 2 from wherever everything took spot and I could perceive gunshots, I could spot nan flames from nan location fire,” Kameroff said.

Aniak resident Dave Cannon said that he besides heard gunshots passim nan morning, and that respective of his neighbors heard shots coming from nan spot passim nan erstwhile night.

Cannon said that he loaned his vessel to troopers, who didn’t person a vessel successful nan h2o and needed to quickly respond to nan fire. By nan clip troopers reached nan area, Cannon said that nan location was afloat engulfed.

“They did get up and look astir and felt that astatine slightest aft a while it was safe capable for nan metropolis to nonstop group crossed to thief conflict nan fire,” Cannon said.

The City of Aniak put nan telephone retired for unpaid firefighters connected their Facebook page astatine noon Thursday, and nan occurrence was brought nether power by nan early afternoon.

“You know, it’s impressive. Aniak tin travel together, and a batch of group conscionable were fresh to spell and thief retired complete there,” Cannon said.

Cannon said that nan occurrence could person been catastrophic for nan half-dozen homes located crossed nan slough if bedewed upwind hadn’t precocious group successful astir Aniak.

The remains recovered successful nan location will beryllium sent to nan authorities aesculapian examiner’s agency successful Anchorage, and nan authorities occurrence marshal’s agency will respond to analyse nan root and origin of nan fire.