On August 31, 2014, an 18-year-old male, Jamond Dillard, was shot and killed inside a residence in the 8400 block of East 98th Terrace in Kansas City, Missouri. Police found Dillard with a gunshot wound to the head during a response to a gathering at the home.

Investigators concluded the shooting was not intentional malice but resulted from reckless handling of a firearm. Court documents say 19-year-old Columbus Nelson had the gun and was attempting to clear it or manipulate the slide when the weapon discharged as he tried to remove it from his hand or waistband. Jackson County prosecutors charged Nelson with involuntary manslaughter, alleging his dangerous handling of the loaded firearm caused Dillard’s death.

Was anyone at the gathering willing to talk about what happened in the moments before the weapon went off?