Gala Winona Zuehlke was 17 when she died on November 30, 2018, in her Edmonds, Washington, apartment. A senior at Edmonds-Woodway High School, she was described as creative and caring, loved animals, and hoped to become an elementary school teacher.

In the presence of Gala and another friend he began playing with the gun and, despite the girls urging him to unload it, continued. After a first trigger pull produced a click, Puller pointed the revolver at Gala and pulled the trigger; the gun discharged and a single bullet struck her in the face, killing her. Puller fled but was arrested on December 3, 2018, and the revolver was recovered from a couch at a friend’s house.

Puller was charged as an adult with first-degree manslaughter and in August 2019 pleaded guilty. The defense argued undiagnosed ADHD and impulsivity; the prosecution pointed to loading the gun and ignoring warnings. The judge sentenced Puller to nearly 10 years in prison, 10 years of probation, and ordered over $6,000 in restitution to Gala’s family.

Did anyone who knew Gala want to add detail about her life or the people she spent time with?