Fairbanks

Fairbanks man charged with attempted murder after search put schools on lockdown

A Fairbanks man was charged with attempted murder Tuesday after police say he shot and seriously injured a female, and shot at another man who called 911.

Benjamin James Kameroff Akaran, who turned 19 last week, was arrested after a two-hour search by law enforcement through a dense residential neighborhood in the Interior Alaska city.

At 10:43 a.m., the Fairbanks Police Department got a call from a man who said his friend had been shot in the Aurora subdivision, spokeswoman Yumi McCulloch said in a written statement.

As the caller fled the residence, the suspect had tried to shoot him, too, the caller told police, but he was able to hide and call 911.

A female victim was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

In a warning to the public around 11 a.m., police described the suspect as a young male wearing camouflage clothing.

Two schools — Randy Smith Middle School and Annie Wien Elementary School — were put on lockdown while police searched for Akaran, McCulloch said. Armored vehicles and an Alaska State Troopers helicopter were deployed to search the area.

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Around 1 p.m., Akaran was found at a home on Yale Way, in the Chena Pump area, roughly 5 miles from where the shooting took place. Schools were taken out of lockdown shortly after Akaran was detained, McCulloch said.

Akaran was in custody at the Fairbanks Correctional Center on Tuesday, police said.

Laurel Andrews

Laurel Andrews was a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch News and Alaska Dispatch. She left the ADN in October 2018.

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