A Columbus teenager died after playing a game of Russian Roulette.

Tovaris Deloach, 17, died Wednesday afternoon at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, according to Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant.

Deloach, a student at Columbus High School, died of a gunshot wound to the head, Merchant said.

According to Columbus Police Department spokesman Joe Dillion, officers responded to a home on Poplar Street at 8:38 p.m. Tuesday for reports of a gunshot victim. When they arrived, they found Deloach in a bedroom with an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

Three other males were in the room with the teen when the shooting occurred. They told officers Delaoch was talking about Russian Roulette as he took out a revolver and removed the bullets. He put one bullet back in the chamber, held the gun to his head and pulled the trigger, Dillion said.

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The gun did not discharge. Deloach put the gun to his head a second time and again pulled the trigger. This time, the weapon fired.

He was transported by ambulance to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in critical condition. He was taken off of life support Wednesday, Assistant Chief of Police Fred Shelton said.

Shelton said several people refused to believe Deloach shot himself and "chatter" quickly spread through the streets. A retaliation shooting happened several hours after Deloach was shot.

Around 3:45 a.m. Wednesday, the home at 151 Poplar, right next door to where the teenager was shot, was hit with gunfire. No one was injured in that incident.

Investigator Brent Swan said all four of the males lived in the area.

Each of the males had his hands tested for gunshot residue, Shelton said.

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GSR tests are submitted to the state Crime Lab and results can take up to a year to get back, Swan said.

Swan said it was unclear who owned the gun used by Deloach but investigators believe he had it on his person.

A fired cartridge was in the revolver.

"Forensic evidence and witness statements and the forensic examination of the scene support the fact that it was a self-inflicted gunshot," Swan said.

Shelton said he "firmly believes" the witnesses are telling the truth and that the teen shot himself.

"All the evidence points toward it," he said. "The facts are the facts."

Dillion said the department released details surrounding the incident to prevent any further retaliation shootings.

"It's important that the public gets as much accurate information as we have in these cases and in this unfortunate incident, we released more information than we normally would to explain the details of what happened," he said.