Libby man jailed after Russian roulette turns deadly

A game of Russian roulette involving two Libby men on Memorial Day weekend has left one man dead and another jailed on felony charges.

Keigan I. Ball, 22, is in the Lincoln County Detention Center facing charges of negligent homicide and criminal endangerment after a May 27 incident south of Libby. Ball made a preliminary appearance in Lincoln County Justice Court on Monday, July 10. Judge Jay Sheffield set Ball’s bond at $50,000.

Ball is scheduled to appear in Justice Court for a preliminary hearing at 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 19.

According to court documents, 30-year-old Shane Ellison died in the tragic shooting that occurred when he mistakenly shot himself with revolver that he thought was unloaded.

The investigation began when Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies Anthony Jenson and Ben Fisher responded to the scene at a location on Farm to Market Road. Jenson saw a Dodge Stealth that had come to a stop in a chain link fence. He saw Ellison laying just outside the driver’s side door of the vehicle. Jenson also saw two men standing at the end of the driveway, one of whom he recognized as Ball. Jenson wrote in his report that Ball’s arms and jacket were covered with blood.

The deputy approached Ball and asked him what happened. Ball allegedly said, “It was (expletive) unloaded.” Ball then told the officer he and Ellison had been messing around. He said they would usually go into the woods, put one in the chamber and play Russian roulette. Ball allegedly said he emptied the revolver and left the loaded cartridges in his hand. He then handed the gun to Ellison who spun the cylinder, put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, according to court filings.

According to Jenson’s report, Ball said he drove to the current location where Ellison had been living in a shed on the property because he didn’t know what to do.

Deputy Fisher found four live rounds in the grass near Ball’s vehicle. Fisher’s inspection of the gun showed it held five rounds. One spent round was in the cylinder behind the firing pin.

A conviction for negligent homicide may result in a 20-year sentence in the Montana State Prison. A conviction for criminal endangerment may result in a 10-year sentence.