A 16-year-old was indicted on Thursday for first- and third-degree assault charges tied to a fire and explosion at a Kodiak beach that injured 11 other teenagers.
The boy threw a 50-gallon fuel drum into a fire at White Sands Beach during a large party early on Nov. 10, causing a massive explosion, Alaska State Troopers said. Eleven teens total were injured, according to the indictment. Troopers at the time of the incident said eight received hospital care and five of those teens were taken by medical airlift to Anchorage for more extensive treatment.
Kavik Skonberg was taken into custody following the incident but was not publicly identified until he was indicted on the felony charges this week. Juvenile justice proceedings are largely confidential, but teens 16 and over who are charged with high-level felonies, like first-degree assault, are automatically waived into adult court.
Troopers said they were notified around 1:15 a.m. about the explosion. There were an estimated 20 to 40 people at the party, who were mainly high school-aged, they said. The beach is a popular recreational and party spot roughly 11 miles north of the City of Kodiak on Monashka Bay.
The incident sent shockwaves through the Kodiak community and led to an outpouring of support for the injured teens.
The indictment contained few details about the explosion. Skonberg is facing four charges of first-degree assault and seven counts of third-degree assault. He was not in custody Friday but is scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
Attorney Darryl Thompson, who is representing Skonberg, said he plans to plead not guilty to the charges on Monday.
“He does persist in his innocence and will maintain that,” Thompson said.