John D. Chelig, 41, died on February 18, 2014, in Milwaukee. He was at a house on S. 53rd Street near Howard Avenue that night with a friend, Benjamin Masch; the two had been drinking, playing video games in the basement, and handling a .45 caliber handgun. According to the criminal complaint, Masch had loaded and unloaded the gun during the evening. Masch went upstairs to use the restroom and returned to find Chelig holding the firearm, reportedly pointing it at Masch and the television and waving it around. Masch tried to grab the gun; during a scuffle he put the gun to Chelig’s head and pulled the trigger. The gun fired and Chelig was mortally wounded.

Masch initially placed the gun in Chelig’s hand and called 911, telling dispatch Chelig had shot himself; he later told police he had pulled the trigger. Masch was charged with reckless homicide and pleaded not guilty. The case centers on alcohol, firearm handling, and the sequence of events in the basement that night.

53rd Street near Howard Avenue?