Family of man killed in Fairbanks trooper shooting holds candlelight vigil

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - The friends and family of a man killed in an officer-involved shooting on New Year’s Day held a candlelight vigil Saturday in Golden Heart Plaza in downtown Fairbanks.

The vigil follows an officer-involved shooting on Jan. 1 that killed 24-year-old William Rexford, an incident that also left Rexford’s brother Adam hospitalized with serious injuries.

Dozens of residents gathered at Golden Heart Plaza at 4 p.m. on Saturday, showing support for the Rexford family and remembering who William Rexford was.

During the vigil, silence, songs, prayers and stories were shared as those in attendance reflected on the life and death of William, who was shot by Alaska State Troopers in his home.

Rexford’s uncle, Robert Kious, reflected on his nephew’s death at the vigil.

“I know that fear played a big part in this incident because he stood like seven feet tall and he scared me when he walked by me,” he said.

Kious said he wished the troopers had chosen to deploy tasers instead of firearms during the incident.

“I wish that they would have had somebody say, ‘Guns down, tasers up,’ instead of guns up and tasers down when this happened, we would still have him today,” Kious said.

Kious described William as being happy and dedicated a singing of Amazing Grace to his nephew.

Princess Johnson, a friend of the family, shared her memories of Rexford.

“I know that William was a young man, but in my mind [I’ll] always see him as a little 10, 11, 12-year-old boy, because he used to come spend the night with us when he was little,” she said. “He was always super polite.”

Johnson mentioned how Rexford helped with a mural in Nenana and said she wanted people to see that mural and remember that Rexford “played a hand in painting some of that mural.”

“I’m actually still kind of shocked that this happened at all in our community, and I really wish that people would open their hearts more, and if you saw each other as full human beings then maybe we wouldn’t have so much violence in the world,” Johnson said.

“But my heart is really with the doctors and everyone that’s spoken on healing Adam and the nurses, and my love is with the family, and I feel blessed that I got to experience William while he was here.”

Rexford’s sister Linda shared a statement from their parents, who were unable to attend the vigil.

“He enjoyed playing basketball with the Interior youth basketball teams, Ryan Middle School, and with his friends and family at the Student Rec Center at UAF. He liked to go biking, walking and fishing with his family,” she said. “We were very proud of him buying his first brand new car this past summer by himself. He was a kind, thoughtful, caring person who wanted to become a registered nurse.”

William Lee Rexford was born Nov. 7, 2001, in Fairbanks. While living there, he attended University Park Elementary School, Ryan Middle School, West Valley High School and became a certified nursing assistant through the University of Alaska Community and Technical College.

“He was the first high school student to finish coursework as part of the Fairbanks Native Association’s Allied Health Pathways Program,” Linda Rexford said.

Adam was struck as a bystander in the house when William was shot. He is currently being treated for his injuries in Seattle, according to the family.

William is survived by his 12 siblings, parents and many more family members across the state.

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