Mat-Su students caught up in Kodiak manhunt

KODIAK — About 45 Mat-Su Borough School District students were in Kodiak High School April 12 when the school was locked down after two people were shot and killed at the U.S. Coast Guard communications center, district spokeswoman Catherine Esary said.

“We tried to reach parents before the kids did,” she said. “Every high school had staff on the phone making personal calls to parents.”

Although the Coast Guard center is seven or eight miles from the school, Esary said the Kodiak School District followed law enforcement direction to “lockdown” schools while they searched for the shooter.

Esary said Mat-Su students and others from across the state had traveled to Kodiak to attend the Alaska Association of Student Government’s Spring 2012 Leadership Conference at Kodiak High School.

One of those traveling with the Palmer High School contigent was Pete and Denise Christopher’s son, Kevin.

Pete Christopher said he hadn’t heard the news of the shooting Thursday when staff from PHS called to say his child was safe, but that the school had been in lockdown that morning.

Afterward, he said he sent a text to check on his son, who confirmed he was fine.

“It’s a little scary that whoever did this is still running around there,” Christopher said.

Mat-Su students were set to fly out late Saturday night, he said.

A Coast Guard press release Friday said Coast Guard Investigative Service, the FBI, Alaska State Troopers and Kodiak Police Department continue to search for the person responsible for the double homicide.

Killed were Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class James Hopkins, an electronics technician, and Richard Belisle, a civilian employee and retired Coast Guard chief petty officer.

Kodiak schools were closed Friday for professional development and Mat-Su students were set to the Valleyearly Sunday.

“We tried to make sure parents were getting timely, accurate information,” Esary said of the district’s response.

Contact managing editor Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.