An 18-year-old young man is charged in Alaska after several of his family members are found shot to death.
Malachi Maxon of Matanuska-Susitna, Alaska was charged with several counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and trying to flee law enforcement on Tuesday. He is accused of shooting his aunt and three cousins to death, per Alaska Public Media.
On Nov. 23, Maxon was released from custody prior to the horrific incident for assaulting a family member. But on Monday, around 3 a.m., reports say Maxon allegedly shot his cousin, 18-year-old Cody Roehl, who later died from his injuries.
Read More: Alaska Airlines passenger threatens to kill everyone unless they accept ‘Jesus was a Black man’
The troopers responded to a call about another shooting in another part of town. When the authorities arrived, they discovered Maxon’s aunt, Kimora Buster, 43, and his cousins, Ellison Buster, 7, and Sienna Buster,10, shot to death. Another cousin was found in the home unharmed and reports say shots toward him were unsuccessful.
“The scene revealed spent cartridge casings outside the broken front window, and the number of bullets fired at each person appeared to be about the same with the exception of Ellison,” per charging documents obtained by The Washington Post. “In the bed where Ellison and AB were found, there were several more bullet defects than there were with the other bodies that indicated Maxon was likely trying to shoot AB, who was sleeping near the wall.”
When officers located Maxon, he was driving on the highway. When police tried to apprehend the suspect, he fled toward nearby trees and unsuccessfully grabbed for an officer’s gun. He was taken to Mat-Su Pretrial Facility.
Read More: Two planes crash mid-air in Alaska
Police were able to locate Maxon due to the pre-trial electronic monitor he was wearing because of his prior domestic violence charge. They also say a Glock pistol and a white Jeep Liberty were missing from the home of his cousin, Roehl.
A GoFundMe has been created to support the family.
Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!