Troopers traveled to Shungnak to investigate a case of a seven-year-old Shungnak child who died from a gunshot wound on Thursday.

Troopers were notified by the Shungnak VPSO of an incident involving seven-year-old child, Stanley Custer, on Wednesday at approximately 9:57 pm. A medevac was initiated at that time, but the child died at about midnight before the medevac made it to the scene.

When troopers responded from Kotzebue on Thursday morning at 9 am, they began an investigation into the child’s death and would discover that Custer had been playing with other children inside of a residence when the children found a pistol that they believed was a toy gun.

The firearm discharged, striking the young boy in the head. The friends of the injured boy rushed for help, and the family immediately responded. Custer was taken to the Maniilaq Clinic for  treatment, but, Custer needed advanced life support and medevac, and so the services were requested. But, unfortunately, the young boy succumbed to his injuries before medevac could arrive at the community.

Custer was declared deceased at thee facility.

Custer’s remains were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Anchorage for autopsy.

  custer, fatality, gunshot, medevac, shungnak