A 21-year-old college-age man, Christopher White, was fatally shot in the head in the basement of a South Bend house during a party on the night of February 24, 2014. The shooting followed a game of beer pong; witnesses say the shooter, 22-year-old Jacob Saye, had been handling a 9mm semi-automatic handgun during the evening and pointed it at White’s temple before firing.

Saye initially told investigators that he and White had agreed to play Russian roulette, a claim White’s family denied. Witness testimony and prosecution arguments described the killing as a senseless act potentially prompted by White winning the beer pong game. Saye was arrested and originally charged with murder; he later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 35 years. His defense cited a history of mental health issues, including a bipolar disorder diagnosis.