A teenager found shot in the back in the Government Hill neighborhood died from his injuries, Anchorage police said Saturday.
According to a Nixle release, police responded to the 700 block of Birch Street shortly after midnight Saturday. There, they found a 17-year-old boy lying in the roadway.
Officers discovered the boy had been shot in the back. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his wounds.
The victim's family has been notified, but police declined to immediately name the victim citing his status as a juvenile.
In July 2016, however, the Anchorage Police Department released the name of 17-year-old Xeryus Tate who was shot dead in an East Anchorage neighborhood.
Lt. John McKinnon said in a phone interview Saturday night that police had not released the victim's name out of an abundance of caution but hoped to do so in the coming days.
There is currently no police public information officer on duty over the weekend.
McKinnon said the heavy snowfall Friday night has made it difficult for police to find suspects in the case.
"The snow covered up footprints we were trying to track," he said. "We're trying to find other leads."
The homicide marks Anchorage's second killing in 2017.
[Police: Man who made fun of his girlfriend killed by her son]
Anyone with any information about this event is encouraged to come forward by calling the Anchorage Police Department at 907-786-8900 or Anchorage Crime Stoppers at 907-561-7867.