Austin Leonardo Balcarcel, an 18-year-old from Sandston, Virginia, died on October 17, 2016, from a gunshot wound he suffered two days earlier during his 18th birthday party. The celebration was in a detached garage at a residence in Sandston when friends say Balcarcel produced a .38-caliber revolver and played a game resembling Russian Roulette. Witnesses reported he spun the cylinder, placed the barrel to his head and pulled the trigger; the first pull clicked, a second pull fired. He was taken to VCU Medical Center with a severe head wound and died the next day.

Henrico County police found the revolver had been reported stolen in June during a series of vehicle break-ins and was later recovered hidden in a bag of fertilizer by Balcarcel’s stepfather. Authorities determined the shooting was accidental and no arrests were made. Family described him as caring and good-hearted with a passion for soccer.

Did anyone at the gathering ever speak publicly about what led to the decision to bring the firearm into the party?