A house party on Lake Street in Haverhill on February 1, 2016, ended with the death of 25-year-old Eric S. C. Benedict. Friends had been drinking and smoking marijuana when 22-year-old Ross Tucker handled a handgun he believed unloaded, pointed it at Benedict and pulled the trigger. Benedict died from a single shot to the face.

Police arrested Tucker and the Essex District Attorney’s Office charged him with manslaughter and carrying a firearm while under the influence. A jury trial was held in January 2017; the jury convicted Tucker of involuntary manslaughter on January 23, 2017, and a judge later sentenced him to seven to ten years in state prison. The prosecution emphasized that intoxication and careless handling of the gun led to the fatal outcome.