The small community of Shageluk, with just over 80 residents, was devastated by the killing of two people by the victims’ son on Tuesday night, and then angered at the amount of time it took troopers to arrive on the scene following the incident.

It was Tuesday evening that 21-year-old Everett Arrow(Semone) used an axe to take the life of his father John Arrow and his mother Flossie Semone.

Troopers were contacted at 9:17 pm, reporting that two people were severely injured in the community. The Department of Public Safety arranged to have two Bethel troopers to respond aboard the medevac flight out of Bethel.

But, when troopers were advised that the two victims had succumbed to their injuries at 10:26 pm, the medevac was cancelled and the two troopers were without a flight out to the community. Aniak troopers would not arrive at the scene until late morning on Wednesday.

Residents in the community administered aid to the two victims, but were unsuccessful in their attempts. When the man’s two parents passed away, the responders subdued and tied up the son to a chair and secured him in the village’s community building. Villagers would keep Arrow subdued until troopers arrived the next day.

A team of investigators would also respond later Wednesday out of Anchorage to investigate  the incident.

The community currently has no Health Aide or a VPSO. Semone was the former Health Aide and the community has been without a VPSO for approximately a dozen years.

Community members say that they had requested help for Everett Arrow in the past month because of his alleged mental condition, and they were concerned that he was a danger to himself and others, but no help was forthcoming.

The Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation has sent two Masters level behavioral health technicians to the community. The corporation said that they will maintain health staff there for a number of weeks to assist with the aftermath of the killings.

  arrow, everett, flossie, john, murder, semone, shageluk