Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
A 17-year-old boy recounted at an inquest how he accidentally shot his friend with an air rifle during a house party, mistaking the safety catch for the trigger. On 8 November 2025, Connor Bell from Tadley was at a gathering in Chineham, near Basingstoke, where he was hit by a pellet fired by Jack Beechy. The Winchester inquest revealed that the pellet struck Bell through his right eye socket, resulting in a fatal brain injury and cardiac arrest. Bell passed away two days later at Southampton General Hospital.
The coroner, Jason Pegg, ruled the death as accidental, highlighting the lack of proper weapons-handling knowledge as a contributing factor. Evidence showed that Joshua Brown, now 18, had initially told his parents only a few friends would be visiting and that the air rifle would remain locked away. However, more friends arrived than expected, and the group consumed vodka, cider, and beer. During the gathering, Brown brought out the .177 calibre rifle, which was used to shoot at bottles in the garden from the conservatory. Beechy, also 18, admitted to being “a little bit drunk” when Brown asked him to put the rifle away.
Believing the rifle was empty, Beechy fired off the remaining pellets from inside the conservatory before unintentionally discharging the weapon again as he walked into the kitchen where Bell was nearby. He explained, “I tried to put the safety on but it was the wrong trigger. The safety is directly in front of the trigger.” Following the incident, Brown relayed that Beechy ran into the lounge saying, “I shot Bell.” Coroner Pegg observed that what was expected to be a small gathering turned into a larger house party with significant alcohol consumption. He confirmed that Brown had been instructed on the proper use of the rifle and the safety catch by his father.
Pegg noted the situation involved “a real risk and a degree of inevitability” given the combination of young people drinking and handling a firearm, describing the event as “a deeply tragic case.” Hampshire police initially arrested the 17-year-old on suspicion of grievous bodily harm with intent, though no further charges were brought after discussions with the Crown Prosecution Service and Bell’s family. Bell’s family remembered him as “a much-loved boy, who was very sporty and had a large circle of friends.” They also highlighted that CPR performed by friends at the scene enabled Bell to become an organ donor, for which he was posthumously awarded an Order of St John. His father, Robert Bell, described him as someone who “never took himself too seriously and had a wicked sense of humour.” The family urged others to recognize the dangers associated with air rifles, emphasizing the importance of safe storage and use only by individuals with proper training and skills
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.