Standoff: Half of Hoonah AK Police Force Killed

Hoonah, Alaska, the picturesque island village home to just under 800 residents, has been struck with tragedy, as a shooting turned standoff has left half of the town's four-man police force dead. The deadly shooting that left only Hoonah's police chief and a trainee now has the state SWAT team staking out the shooter's house, and looking to keep the death count to a minimum. 45 year-old Hoonah local John Marvin Jr. is responsible for the law enforcement attack, according to Policeone.com.

Marvin is currently barricaded in his home as state police are on the scene trying to evacuate nearby homes. U.S. Coast Guard Bob Prunella commented on the standoff: "This could go on for a while. We don't want another tragedy on our hands, We don't want to lose another officer. They really want to get him alive." Keeping Marvin alive will hopefully answer questions surrounding his deadly and seemingly unprovoked outburst.

Hoonah is a small island located 40 miles east of the state's capital, Juneau. Home to a small Tlingit community, the attack was witnessed by the family of one of the victims, who was off-duty at the time of his death. If police are successful at keeping Marvin alive, the man behind the shootings will face some serious first degree murder charges.

Prunella adds one last thought on the small town tragedy, "The whole town's in shock. I've been getting calls all day. It's a bad situation." Alaska SWAT reports that no further details regarding the standoff or Marvin will be released until there is a resolution to the Hoonah Alaska shooting mystery.

Related Resources:

• Alaskan Kills Half of Town's Police Force (Newser)
• Murder: First Degree (FindLaw)