4 children dead in Alaska after boy fatally shoots siblings before turning gun on himself, authorities say – NBC News

A 15-year-old male juvenile killed three of his siblings before killing himself, according to Alaska State Troopers. Three other children under the age of 7 were in the home at the time of the shooting but were unharmed.

Alaska State Troopers received a report of a shooting in the Skyridge Drive Subdivision, north of Fairbanks, on Tuesday. They found the four children dead from apparent gunshot wounds in a residence, and said a 15-year-old boy shot three of his siblings before turning a gun on himself.

State troopers representative Tim DeSpain said the motive for the shooting is still unknown, and the bodies of all four children have been sent to the state medical examiner’s office.

The Office of Children’s Services said that they will not provide additional information on a case involving an open investigation, a representative for the department said.

Although sibling abuse is the most common in family dynamics, it is the least reported. Usually, an older child preys on the emotional dependence or weakness of a younger sibling and causes psychological and/or physical harm. This type of abuse is believed to be a factor in the shooting that occurred.

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