On the evening of September 14, 2026, a backyard barbecue in Houston, Alaska, turned deadly, ending the life of 43-year-old Devin Blawat. A male resident of Big Lake, Blawat was at a gathering at the trailer of 72-year-old Michael Pulliam when he was fatally shot. Alaska State Troopers responded to a report of the shooting at approximately 9:08 p.m. and, upon arrival, discovered Blawat deceased from a gunshot wound.
The Southcentral Major Crimes Unit was called in to take over the investigation into the homicide.
The initial investigation led to the swift arrest of Michael Pulliam. Pulliam, a resident of Houston, was taken into custody and faced a string of serious charges, including Murder in the 2nd Degree, Manslaughter, and two counts of Assault. He was subsequently transported to the Mat-Su Pretrial facility. Reports from the scene suggested that Pulliam had been drinking heavily before the incident. In his inconsistent account to the police, Pulliam claimed that Blawat had "started this" and that he "always messes with knives." Investigators did note that Pulliam had cuts on his hands. A handgun was recovered from Pulliam at the scene.
Public records indicate that this was not Michael Pulliam's first encounter with law enforcement. In a previous incident, he was arrested for allegedly striking a man in the head multiple times with a steel pipe. Further details on the legal proceedings against Pulliam in the shooting death of Devin Blawat have not been made publicly available, and the investigation was last reported as ongoing. As of the latest available information, there have been no public announcements regarding a trial, conviction, or sentencing in this case. The overview of the case is that a gathering turned violent, leading to a man's death, an arrest of the homeowner, and a pending legal process to determine the full scope of events and ultimate accountability for the death of Devin Blawat.
