Crime & Courts

Suspect in Russian Mission shooting goes on another crime spree after evading law enforcement for months, troopers say

This article originally appeared at KYUK.org and is republished here with permission.

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Suspects in a shooting in Russian Mission have been on the loose for months. Evading capture, some of them went on a rampage last week, allegedly assaulting, threatening and attempting to rob members of the community until state troopers finally arrested them five days later.

It began on July 28. According to the Alaska State Troopers, 20 year-old Tyler Housler, 21-year-old Jalen Minock, and a 14 year-old ambushed a group of boaters in Russian Mission, shooting and injuring a man. Troopers said that the three also fired a gun into a house full of adults and children. No one was hurt in that shooting.

Troopers went to the village the next day to try to locate the suspects but could not find them. They went back multiple times, checking fish camps and sloughs outside of the village by boat and four-wheeler.

After a week, on Aug. 4, they found and arrested one of the suspects, Jalen Minock. Minock is charged with attempted murder and assault.

Throughout the summer, people called troopers saying they saw one of the suspects, Housler, in Russian Mission, Marshall and Pilot Station. Troopers responded to those calls but could not find Housler.

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On Oct. 25, troopers located the 14-year-old suspect in Russian Mission. The teenager is also charged with attempted murder and assault.

Then, on Nov. 10, troopers received a report that Housler and two others, 32-year-old Stephan Duffy and 18-year-old Bryce Housler, were terrorizing residents of Russian Mission. Troopers said the three men assaulted at least three victims in separate events while trying to rob them.

According to reports, Tyler Housler stole a gun from one victim, rammed his snowmachine into the front door of a house trying to get in, and threatened to kill everyone inside. The next day troopers arrived in Russian Mission, but the suspects fled and evaded capture.

On Nov. 15, five days after the initial report, troopers traveled to Russian Mission again and found the suspects. The three were at their homes.

All five suspects are in custody, either at the Yukon Kuskokwim Correctional Center or the Bethel Youth Facility. All five face multiple felony and misdemeanor charges for incidents spanning the four months that some of them evaded troopers.

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