The phrase “It’s only a game” has never been more necessary. In Texas, a game of beer pong got out of hand and ended with the death of a 19-year-old college student.
The fatal shooting took place last month at a graduation party, when about two dozen people were playing a late night game of beer pong in a garage. Around 1 am, a witness says a dispute broke out over the rules, and it led to a fight between two groups—the party’s host and his friends, and neighbor Ronald McNeil, 39, and his friends. Punches were thrown and McNeil and his friends was asked to leave.
“We’re a bunch of college kids. We didn’t think anything was really going to happen. Just to be safe, we closed the garage door anyway,” Texas A&M student Landon Duke said in a phone interview with the news site.
Duke was setting up to play another round pong with Lacie LaRose, 19. LaRose went outside to get a few beers for the game when McNeil came back and fired off 14 rounds. Although McNail told police he was trying to scare the kids with his gun and he fired by accident, LaRose was shot in the neck and killed.
Two others were injured in the shooting – one person was hit in the leg and another was hit with shrapnel.
McNeil is currently being held in Brazos County Jail on charges of murder, deadly conduct for discharge of a firearm, and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
This is seriously messed up, and our thoughts are with LaRose’s family. Drinking games are not worth a fight let alone something so tragic.
[Story via NY Daily News]
