Jaxon Williams, 19, of Wasilla, was found dead on a Hatcher Pass trail on June 24, 2026. Alaska State Troopers and State Park Rangers responded after a report of a deceased male around 11:40 a.m. The Alaska Bureau of Investigation took over, an autopsy was performed, and the State Medical Examiner’s Office determined Williams had been fatally shot in the head.

On June 25, 2026, 18-year-old Gary Reddig of Wasilla was arrested and taken to the Mat-Su Pretrial facility. He faces charges of Murder in the Second Degree and Tampering with Physical Evidence; those charges are allegations and he is presumed innocent pending legal proceedings. The shooting in a popular recreational area has unsettled the local community.

If anyone was in the Hatcher Pass area on June 24 and observed anything out of the ordinary, please share information with the investigators.