On August 5, 2014, 16-year-old Matthew Regula was fatally shot in a residence on Kenneth Drive in Killingly, Connecticut. Matthew was visiting his girlfriend when 22-year-old Kyle Carney was handling a rifle inside the home and the weapon discharged. The bullet struck Matthew in the face; he was found unresponsive in an upstairs bedroom, taken to Day Kimball Hospital in Putnam, and pronounced dead.

Carney was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree reckless endangerment. He initially told investigators the rifle accidentally discharged while he was walking through a hallway, then later said he had been manipulating the rifle’s trigger and magazine when it fired. Court records referenced probation violations and noted underlying mental health and substance abuse issues; a judge set bond at $500,000.

Matthew’s family and community remembered him as a kind, energetic teenager who loved video games, music, and time with family. Nearly 100 friends, relatives, and local residents held a candlelight vigil at Davis Park in his memory.

If anyone knew Matthew, was at the Kenneth Drive residence that day, or has information about the shooting, please share what you know.