On April 26, 2021, 18-year-old Joseph George, an Alaskan Native from Nightmute, died after being struck in the head by a close-range shotgun blast while out on a goose hunt near the Nightmute airport. He and two other young people had been hunting when a minor companion fired as a bird passed overhead; village health aides responded and Joseph George was declared deceased at the scene.

Alaska State Troopers opened an investigation and told local outlets they did not suspect foul play, describing the death as a hunting accident and reporting no suspicious activity. The shooter was identified in reports only as a minor and authorities did not announce any arrests. The community acknowledged the loss in memorial postings that emphasized the local, subsistence context of spring goose hunts.

If anyone was present that evening or has information about the circumstances near the Nightmute airport on April 26, 2021, please share what is known.