A White / Caucasian male, 46-year-old Royce Gardner, died on October 13, 2015 in Kasilof, Alaska, from an accidental gunshot wound. Alaska State Troopers responded to Gardner's home at about 8:54 a.m., after a report of a “gunshot wound.” Central Emergency Services arrived, and Gardner was pronounced dead on the scene. His body was later sent to the State Medical Examiner's office.
The circumstances of the death were that Gardner was working on a vehicle at his residence when the revolver he had tucked into his waistband slipped out, struck the vehicle, and discharged. The bullet struck Gardner, fatally wounding him.
His next of kin were notified, including his sister, Rayme Gardner of Oklahoma, who arranged a GoFundMe to bring her brother's body home. He had lived on the Kenai Peninsula for about 25 years, was a U.S. Navy veteran having served in Desert Storm, and had raised a family with his life partner and her three children.
There were no arrests made in connection with his death. Investigators, including the Alaska Bureau of Investigation, responded, but all accounts agree this was a tragic accident involving a negligent discharge, not a criminal act by another person.
