On December 30, 2023, in Koyuk, Alaska, 74-year-old Dennis Adams was shot and killed inside his residence. Charging documents say his 35-year-old son, Franklin Adams, called 911 about 5:45 p.m., reporting that he had shot and killed his father; Alaska State Troopers arrested Franklin and charged him with first-degree murder.

According to the charges, Franklin told investigators he had been assaulted earlier that day and smoked marijuana he believed was laced, causing him to black out. He said that after regaining consciousness he took a Remington 1100 semi-automatic shotgun from his bedroom, entered the living room, fired once and missed, then reloaded and shot Dennis in the chest. When he could not chamber a third round, he allegedly grabbed a Remington 870 and a photograph of his deceased brother before calling 911 and saying he wasn’t feeling himself. Franklin was booked into Anvil Mountain Correctional Center in Nome; he was arraigned January 1, 2024, with bail set at $500,000 and a court hearing scheduled January 11, 2024.

The shooting has shaken the small Koyuk community; very little else about motive or circumstances is publicly detailed. Does anyone in the area have information about the events leading up to that night or about the family’s situation?