Steven Carroll Jr., a 16-year-old student and athlete known affectionately as “Buddah,” was remembered by his family for his big heart and for being the light of their lives. A Black young man with a bright future, Steven played both football and basketball at Mater Academy East Las Vegas. His father, Steven Carroll Sr., said his son’s defining characteristic was that he loved people and cared deeply about them.
His family said it was that love for others that ultimately placed him in harm's way.
In the early morning hours of Saturday, October 17, 2026, Steven was at his Las Vegas home when he learned that a cousin was involved in a domestic dispute with her child's father just down the street. His mother, Mekala Hal, later recalled that he woke her up to tell her he was going to check on his cousin. He left his home but would never return. According to his mother, Steven collapsed just feet from his own front door.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department received reports of a shooting at approximately 2:07 a.m. in a residential neighborhood near Walnut Star Lane and Star Creek Bay Lane. When officers arrived, they discovered two people in the street with gunshot wounds, one of whom was Steven. He and an unidentified female victim were rushed to a local hospital, where Steven was pronounced dead. Homicide detectives determined that a dispute had broken out among several people in front of a residence. The argument escalated, and multiple suspects pulled out firearms and began shooting at each other. Steven and the female victim were caught in the exchange of gunfire. The suspects fled the scene before police arrived.
In the wake of the shooting, Steven’s family was left heartbroken and searching for answers. They vehemently pushed back against any public perception that the killing was gang-related. “People are portraying this as gang violence and it’s not gang violence. My baby is innocent,” Mekala Hal said through tears. His grandmother, Delona Partridge, also spoke out, stating, “Black children are not synonymous with gangs and gun violence.” The family stressed that they did not want retaliation or street justice for Steven's death. “We need your prayers. We need your support. But more importantly, for those that know anything, please contact the police,” Partridge pleaded. “We want justice for Buddah.”
The community rallied around the grieving family. A candlelight vigil was held at Mater Academy East, where friends, family, and teammates gathered to honor his memory. To help with funeral expenses, the family organized a barbeque and bake sale fundraiser at the corner of Owens Avenue and H Street and also created a GoFundMe campaign. His father remembered the quality that made his son special: “Most important about him is that he loved caring about other people. And that’s really what got him in the situation that it got him in because he had such a big heart.”
As of late October 2026, the investigation into Steven Carroll Jr.'s murder is ongoing. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has not announced any arrests or named any suspects in the case. The individuals who fled the scene after the shooting remain at large. The family continues to ask for the public's help, urging anyone with information to come forward to the police to bring accountability for the death of their beloved "Buddah."
