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Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Russian Roulette Claims N.M. Boy
By Vic Vela
Journal Northern Bureau
SANTA FE — A 15-year-old Española boy died Saturday morning after shooting himself in the head during what police said was a game of Russian roulette.
David D. Chacon was at an acquaintance's home in Alcalde when he apparently pulled out a semi-automatic pistol from under his waistband and pointed it to his head, a witness told State Police, according to spokesman Peter Olson.
A witness said that just before he shot himself, Chacon, with the gun to his head, said to friends in the room, " 'Look, look, look' in Spanish," while his girlfriend was pleading with him not to do it, Olson said.
The witness saw the teen pull the trigger once, but the gun didn't fire. Chacon then cocked the weapon and did it again, and the gun discharged, said Olson.
Police are investigating an account that another person pointed the same gun to his or her head and pulled the trigger before Chacon did.
"We don't know if that happened or not," Olson said. "There's different stories."
Though one witness said Chacon pulled out the gun, Olson is not sure whose gun it was.
"Nobody else is claiming ownership" for the weapon, Olson said.
Chacon was first taken to Española Hospital, then to Christus-St. Vincent Regional Medical Center in Santa Fe, where he was kept on life-support for a period, according to Olson. He died at 10:30 a.m., but the spokesman did not know exactly when he was pronounced dead.
Police were called to the Alcalde home, in a private drive off CR 41, at 3:30 a.m. Saturday. Olson said a "get-together" among adults was going on at the residence and younger people eventually showed up.
Olson estimated there were about 10 to 15 people inside the home at the time of the shooting, but didn't know who besides Chacon's girlfriend was nearby when the shooting took place.
Olson does not anticipate any criminal charges being filed, though police continue to investigate, with a final report expected to be sent to the District Attorney's Office.
Chacon's burial is scheduled at 10 a.m. today at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Española, which follows a church service there.
Attempts to reach Chacon family members were unsuccessful Tuesday evening.
An obituary states Chacon "had a lot of friends and will be missed." He was a boy who "liked music and joking around," the obituary says.
"He loved to tease his mom, dad and sisters," the notice states. "But (afterward) would be hugging and kissing them."
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