A St. Louis police officer was killed Thursday while playing a deadly game of Russian roulette with another officer, according to Missouri prosecutors.

Katlyn Alix, 24, died of a gunshot wound to the chest after Nathaniel Hendren, 29, allegedly shot her while on duty.



According to a probable cause statement from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney, the two were “playing with firearms” when Hendren brought out a revolver, emptied the cylinder, and put one cartridge back in it.

The two allegedly then took turns passing the gun back and forth and shooting it at each other.

Hendren “pointed it away” and fired the gun, but it did not fire. Alix, who was off duty at the time, then pointed it at Hendren and shot. It still did not fire.

Hendren then allegedly pulled the trigger a third time, this time pointing at Alix, and it fired, hitting her in the chest.

Also present during the incident was a third officer, Hendren’s partner, who told the two officers “they shouldn’t be playing with guns and that they were police officers.”

The third officer, who was not named in the probable cause statement, started to leave because he felt “uncomfortable with them playing with guns and didn’t want to have any part of it.”

He apparently heard the gunshot right after leaving the room. He rushed back in and saw Alix had been shot in the chest.

Hendren was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter and armed criminal action. He could face 3 to 10 years in prison.