Relatives remembered 16-year-old Steven Carroll Jr. as a caring athlete and rejected claims that his death was tied to gang activity.
LAS VEGAS — The family of 16-year-old Steven Carroll Jr. is mourning the Las Vegas student and asking for information about his fatal shooting after his mother said he left home to check on a relative who was involved in a dispute.
Carroll, known to relatives and friends as “Buddah,” died Oct. 17, according to his obituary. His family told KSNV that he played football and basketball and attended Mater Academy East. As funeral arrangements moved forward, relatives said they wanted the public to remember him for his concern for others rather than speculation surrounding the circumstances of his death.
His mother, Mekala Hal, said she had been sleeping when Carroll woke her and told her he was going to check on his cousin. Hal said the cousin had been involved in a dispute with the father of her child. Carroll did not return home, she said. The family has not publicly provided a full account of what happened after he left.
Hal described her son as a teenager with a future in front of him and said his involvement in sports was an important part of his life. She also disputed claims that his death resulted from gang violence, saying her son was not involved in a gang. No independently confirmed evidence establishing a gang connection has been made public in the reporting reviewed for this story.
Carroll’s father, Steven Carroll, said his son cared deeply about other people and believed that concern led him to try to help in the situation involving his relative. The family’s account places the teenager’s decision to check on his cousin at the center of its effort to explain why he left home before his death.
Carroll’s grandmother, Delona Partridge, urged people with information to cooperate with police and said the family was seeking accountability rather than retaliation. She also pushed back against assumptions connecting Black children with gangs and gun violence, saying the family wanted the circumstances of Carroll’s death addressed through the justice system.
The family’s appeal comes as relatives and friends prepare public events in Carroll’s memory. A barbecue and bake sale fundraiser was scheduled to begin at noon Saturday near Owens Avenue and H Street to help with funeral expenses. A fundraising page also was established to assist the family.
Mater Academy East has announced a candlelight vigil honoring Carroll and another student, Markel Rogers. Carroll’s family said friends and relatives planned to gather at the school at 6 p.m. Sunday. The school lists Carroll’s memorial among its current community announcements.
Carroll’s obituary lists his birth date as March 15, 2010, and his death as Oct. 17, 2026. Publicly available information reviewed for this report does not establish who shot Carroll, what led directly to the gunfire or whether any arrest has been made in connection with his death.
For Carroll’s family, the immediate focus remains on mourning the teenager while seeking more information about what happened. Relatives have continued to ask anyone who knows details about the shooting to provide them to law enforcement as the family prepares to honor his life.
Author note: Last updated October 24, 2026.