Indiana mother seeks answers after 19-year-old son dies in suspected Russian roulette shooting
An Indiana mother is seeking answers after her 19-year-old son died following an accidental shooting that investigators believe may have occurred during a game of “Russian roulette” involving several friends.
Kasen Schmidt was shot in the head shortly before 2 a.m. Aug. 15 inside his grandfather’s home in Logansport, Indiana. His mother, Chelsey Sommers, said detectives told her that Schmidt and five other teenagers may have been playing the dangerous game when the gun discharged.
Police found Schmidt critically injured inside the home. He was flown to Indianapolis for treatment and was declared brain dead the following day. Sommers said his organs were later donated.
Nearly two weeks after the shooting, Sommers said she continues to struggle with unanswered questions about what happened.
“I don’t have a lot of answers now,” she said.
Video recorded outside the home appears to show the five teenagers leaving shortly after the shooting. Sommers said none of them called 911 or remained at the scene to help Schmidt. Instead, she said they notified Schmidt’s sister and her boyfriend, who found him inside the house.
Sommers said police eventually interviewed all five teenagers after one of them turned himself in.
She also questioned whether investigators conducted enough testing to determine what happened. Sommers said she was told that Schmidt did not undergo toxicology or gunshot residue testing, which she believes could have provided additional information about the shooting. She also said no detective traveled to Indianapolis to meet with Schmidt while he was hospitalized.
“They didn’t give him a voice when they could have by running the tests,” Sommers said. “That’s what’s bothering me.”
Logansport police said the shooting remains under investigation. The police chief said the department understands Sommers’ grief and concerns and hopes the investigation will eventually provide answers.
The Marion County coroner’s office confirmed it was notified of Schmidt’s death but was not asked to conduct an examination.
As she mourns her son, Sommers said she feels compelled to continue seeking answers about his death and sharing his story.
“I don’t get to mourn him right now because I have to honor him by making sure that his story is told,” she said.
Sommers described Schmidt as kind, funny, hardworking, and fun-loving. She said he never judged others, loved everyone, and had a “heart of gold.”
Schmidt graduated from Logansport High School in May 2025. He is survived by his parents, grandparents, brother, sister and friends.
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