2 dead in Wasilla shooting

UPDATE: On Tuesday, troopers identified the shooting victims as Renee Millard, 40, and Dean Millard, 10. They also said an unidentified juvenile had been taken into custody in connection with the deaths. Read more here.

WASILLA — Two people are dead following a Monday morning shooting in the Meadow Lakes area that Alaska State Troopers remained tight-lipped about as the day progressed.

Troopers on the scene of the shooting at a two-story home in the 4600 block of North Autumn Lane would only say the investigation was ongoing as of mid-afternoon Monday. A trooper helicopter circled a wooded area in the Pittman and Church roads areas near the home for more than an hour just before noon in the secluded neighborhood, where most houses sit off the road on large, wooded lots.

Investigators were seen photographing areas near the driveway, and at least three plainclothes investigators left the home before midday.

According to dispatch reports, the call — a report of gunshots — came in around 8:20 a.m., with emergency responders asked to stage at Station 7-2 at the corner of Pittman and Church roads. Two ambulances and command vehicles idled in the parking lot while crews waited inside the station, asked to stay put due to possible reports of a potential suspect on the loose. They were later released.

“We received a code green from the troopers due to reports of two deceased in the home,” said West Lakes Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Keel.

Troopers said next of kin had been notified, but the victims' names had not been released as of Monday afternoon. According to online property records, the home belongs to Alvin and Renee Millard. A call placed to a number listed for the couple was picked up by an answering machine Monday afternoon.

The Mat-Su Borough said it took a dog at the home into protective custody and later released the animal to "an authorized person."

Several troopers were seen on both Church and Pittman Monday morning, with one trooper on Pittman armed with a tactical rifle.

Autumn Lane resident Kevin Saiki returned home from his job at Spenard Builders Supply around 9:45 a.m. to check on his wife, and said the situation was “a little tense.”

“It’s a bit unnerving, not knowing what’s going on,” said Saiki, who said he has lived in the area for 16 years. “I wanted to get back to make sure my wife was OK and that everything was locked up.”

A trooper spokeswoman said authorities could release no other information about the shooting Monday afternoon.

Saiki said he knew most of the neighbors in the area, but was unsure which family was affected. A woman in an SUV parked near the trooper roadblock was visibly upset.

“Right now, I don’t know what to say,” Saiki said.

Contact reporter Steven Merritt at 352-2269 or steven.merritt@frontiersman.com