William Garrett Sands, a 17-year-old male, tragically lost his life on March 28, 2018, in Terre Haute, Indiana. His death, caused by a gunshot wound to the head, occurred at a house party where minors were consuming alcohol. Sands, a student at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, was just weeks away from his 18th birthday and had recently graduated early to begin an apprenticeship in plumbing.
The night of the incident, a gathering of young people took a fatal turn. Nathan G.
Derickson, 19 years old at the time, was reportedly playing with a handgun. Believing he had unloaded the weapon, Derickson handled the firearm when it discharged, striking Sands. Officers arriving at the Terre Haute home found the high school student deceased. An autopsy later confirmed the cause of death as a gunshot wound to the head.
In the wake of the shooting, Nathan G. Derickson was arrested and faced a preliminary charge of reckless homicide. In March 2019, Derickson pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in a plea agreement that capped his potential sentence. He also admitted to the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony that resulted in death. In April 2019, a judge sentenced Derickson to four years in prison, to be followed by six years of probation. During the sentencing, Derickson read a statement apologizing to Sands' family.
The investigation also led to charges against another individual, 22-year-old Richard Henderson. Henderson was accused of purchasing the beer and whiskey that were consumed by the minors at the party on the night of the fatal shooting.
