Mark Heinz, Found Guilty, Has Been Sentenced To 55 Years After 2020 Gakona Terror Spree
Mark Heinz, of Gakona Junction, Has Been Sentenced For Attempted Murder, Other Crimes On February 13th, 2026, Mark Heinz of Gakona Juncti...
Mark Heinz, of Gakona Junction, Has Been Sentenced For Attempted Murder, Other Crimes
Mark Heinz had been found guilty by a jury at Glennallen Court in October, 2025.
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| KTUU October 17th SWAT Team photo was taken by the TV station at Gakona Jct in October, 2020. |
The incident began on October 16th, 2020 at 9:30 in the morning, when Troopers got a REDDI (Report Every Distracted Driver Immediately) report about a vehicle that almost caused a collision at Gakona Lodge. Around 9:40, Trooper dispatch got a call from someone at the lodge reporting the vehicle was traveling toward the Richardson.
Troopers came across the car at 10:04 am about two miles east of the Tok Cutoff. The Trooper initiated a traffic stop. The driver failed to yield and attempted to flee. During the pursuit, the driver shot at the Trooper, according to a Trooper report, near Mile 157 of the Richardson. The Trooper was not injured and fired back, but the suspect continued to flee, they said. Eventually he stopped, jumped out of his vehicle, and ran into the woods near Mile 149 of the Richardson.
A blockade starting at Mile 128, half a mile south of the Tok Cutoff corner and up the hill from Gulkana Village, was set in place.
The Trooper blockade extended through the junction, past multiple homes on both sides of the road, and there were pilot cars to let people through.
The Troopers put out an advisory asking motorists between Mile 134 and 165 north of the junction to not pick up hitchhikers.
There also was a school lockdown at Glennallen School due to a "possible gunman."
Members of Southern Special Emergency Reaction Teams (SERTs) from all over the state and Helo-3 helicopters answered the call. Also on board were members of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation and "B" & "D" Trooper Detachment general investigation teams. Troopers also got help and technical assistance from the FBI, National Park Service and Village Public Safety Officer Program.
Mark Heinz was apprehended without incident after being on the loose for more than 24 hours. He has been incarcerated since his arrest.
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| Gakona bridge on the Tok Cutoff. (Photo, Country Journal) |
PRESS RELEASE
Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts in Roadway-Chase, Attempted Murder of Trooper
October 21, 2025
(Glennallen, AK) – Yesterday, a Glennallen jury returned guilty verdicts against Mark Heinz, 64, who committed a series of assaults on residents in Gakona, engaged in a high-speed chase with an Alaska State Trooper and fired a rifle at the Trooper’s car.
The jury found him guilty of: Attempted Murder, four counts of Assault in the Third degree, Assault in the Fourth Degree, Misconduct Involving Weapons in the First Degree, Misconduct Involving Weapons in the Fourth Degree, Failure to Stop at the Direction of a Peace Officer, and two counts of Criminal Mischief in the Third Degree.
On Oct. 16, 2020, an Alaska State Trooper responded to a series of assaults on the residents of Gakona. When law enforcement attempted to stop Heinz’s vehicle, Heinz engaged in a lengthy chase for more than 30 miles. Eventually, Heinz fired a semi-automatic rifle at the Trooper, causing damage to the Trooper’s vehicle and a bystander’s vehicle. The defendant then fled the scene and remained at large for more than 24 hours.
Additionally, the jury found 13 aggravating factors applied in this case. The sentencing in this case is set for Feb. 13, 2026.
Assistant District Attorney Jordyn Caldwell prosecuted this case with assistance from paralegal Suzette Marey. The Alaska Bureau of Investigation investigated.
CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney, Jordyn Caldwell
JUDGEMENT & ORDER OF COMMITMENT
