Teenager charged in Russian roulette death
By: Channel 8 Newsroom
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) A Nebraska prosecutor says a teenager has been charged with evidence tampering in connection with a fatal game of Russian roulette.
Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine on Thursday provided new details about the Sunday shooting in Omaha. He says 19-year-old Joseph Merolla died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a west Omaha apartment.
Kleine says Merolla died on the first turn of the game. He says two of Merolla’s friends saw the shooting and a third was in another room. Merolla was found dead on the kitchen floor.
Kleine says 18-year-old Erik Valencia took the gun and left the apartment. Valencia is charged with tampering with physical evidence, a felony offense.
Valencia was released from jail Thursday after posting bond.
