Gun Game Ends With Soldier Charged With Murder

Anchorage police say what began as a Friday night get-together in an Eagle River home, escalated to a drunken game of Russian Roulette and ended Sunday morning with a soldier dead and his friend, another soldier, charged with second-degree murder.

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By Alexis Fernandez

Story Created: Mar 6, 2011 at 11:46 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Mar 8, 2011 at 4:48 PM AKDT

UPDATE:  Soldier killed in Russian roulette game on March 6 identified as Michael Matthew McCloskey, 26.  According to military records, his home of record is Beverly, New Jersey, not North Carolina as previously reported.

Anchorage police say what began as a Friday night get-together in an Eagle River home, escalated to a drunken game of Russian Roulette and ended Sunday morning with a soldier dead and his friend, another soldier, charged with second-degree murder.

It all took place at the home of Army Private First Class, Jacob Brouch, 25, in Eagle River. Brouch was letting his 26-year-old friend from North Carolina, who was also a soldier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, stay with him.
 
Police initially called the shooting a possible accident, but after further investigation, have charged the victim’s friend with his death. It’s a fatal shooting that shocked the quiet Eagle River neighborhood. 
 
“It’s a lot of just families and military, you hear maybe the occasional shoplifter, but that’s about it,” said neighbor Ashley Buck.
 
Anchorage police and paramedics responded to the 11600 block of Dawn Street in Eagle River around 2 a.m. Sunday. 
 
“At some point in time on Saturday they began drinking and continued drinking during the day and posing for photographs with a revolver that belonged to Brouch,” Anchorage police spokesperson Anita Shell said. 
 
Police say during the course of the night, the two then began playing a drinking game with Brouch's gun, while Brouch's wife and two teenaged children slept. 
 
“The gun play resulted in a game of Russian Roulette, where detectives determined the victim was holding the gun to his stomach, when the victim accidentally fired the weapon,” Shell said. 
 
That’s when police arrived and tried to revive the soldier; who was then rushed about an hour later to Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
     
“Jacob Brouch was charged with murder in the second degree because he knowingly provided the weapon which resulted in the death of his friend,” Shell said. 
 
Police say the tragedy could have been prevented. 
 
“This is not a game that should ever be played,” Shell said. “Guns can be very dangerous in the hands of somebody, especially when they've been drinking. This is just a horrible 
deadly reminder.”
 
Brouch is being held at the Anchorage jail until his arraignment Monday.

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