Gazette, The (Colorado Springs): Russian roulette game kills Springs teenager

A Colorado Springs teenager died early Saturday after shooting himself during a party, apparently in a deadly game of Russian roulette.

Springs police say 18-year-old Blake Robinson was dancing with friends at a house in the 2500 block of East Bijou Street when he pulled out a revolver and began playing with it.

Police were called to the house at 12:15 a.m. after Robinson shot himself in the head. The teenager was dead when officers arrived.

Coroner's officials said an autopsy showed Robinson died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Officials have not said whether it was an accident or a suicide.

Two sources familiar with the investigation said Robinson was playing Russian roulette, a dangerous game in which a single round of ammunition is loaded into a revolver and the cylinder of the weapon is spun before the trigger is pulled. On most revolvers there is a one in six chance that the first pull of the trigger will unleash a fatal shot.

Robinson's family couldn't be located Saturday for comment.

El Paso County hasn't had a reported Russian roulette death since a 1995 case that also involved a teenager.

Police said their investigation into Robinson's death could take several days.