A Michigan teenager is fighting for his life after being shot in the face by a friend during what police described as a game of Russian Roulette gone awry.
Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department Lt Mark Bennett said that tragic incident that has left 16-year-old Brandon Kuiper in critical condition happened Wednesday night in Tallmadge Township.
The initial 911 report said that the shooting was an attempted suicide, but when officers responded to the scene in the 3900 block of Leonard Street around 9pm, they quickly discovered that Kuiper's wound was not self-inflicted.
In the aftermath of the shooting, Kuiper's friend Richard Usher Jr, 18, was arrested and charged with attempted manslaughter.
According to court records cited by WOOD8, a detective said that Usher shot Kuiper in the face at close range with a .22 caliber handgun while they were playing Russian Roulette.
Officials say it does not appear that the boys argued or had a disagreement prior to the shooting, leading them to believe that the incident was not premeditated.
Lieutenant Bennett said Usher's mother and grandmother were in a different part of the house during the shooting.
Kuiper, Usher and four other boys between the ages of 17 and 19 were hanging out at the house Wednesday night, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol, according to police.
Detectives believe the teens were playing with guns when Usher fired a shot at Kuiper, striking him in the face at 9.15pm.
The 16-year-old was rushed to spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids suffering from life-threatening injuries.
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