Teenager, 17, died after he was accidentally shot in the head with an air rifle by his friend at a house party as he tried to put the safety on, inquest hears

A teenager was accidentally shot dead by his friend at a house party as he tried to put the safety mode on, an inquest heard.

Connor Bell, 17, was killed at the drunken gathering in Basingstoke, Hampshire on November 8, 2025, when Jack Beechey fired at him with an air rifle after mistaking the trigger for the safety catch.

The party was hosted at the home of Joshua Brown, who is now 18, after having more friends over than agreed with his parents, the Winchester inquest was told.

The court heard that the air rifle, which they had owned for three weeks, was supposed to be left locked away in a cupboard. 

But after drinking vodka, cider and beers, Mr Brown took out the .177 calibre air rifle and it was used to fire from the conservatory at targets in the garden such as bottles. 

Mr Brown said that later in the evening he was in the lounge when Mr Beechey ran in from the kitchen and said: 'I shot Connor.'

Connor was shot in the head and suffered an 'unsurvivable' brain injury after the pellet entered his head through his right eye socket, causing him to suffer a cardiac arrest.   

He was rushed to Southampton General Hospital where he died two days later.

Mr Beechey, now aged 18, told the inquest that he had drunk alcohol during the evening and was a 'little bit drunk'.

He said that Mr Brown had asked him to put the rifle back in its case so he decided to fire off the remaining pellets in the magazine from the conservatory because he 'thought it would be safer' and added: 'I thought I had completely unloaded it.'

Mr Beechey said it was as he walked into the kitchen that he accidentally fired the rifle by mistaking the trigger for the safety catch while Connor was standing nearby.

He said: 'I tried to put the safety on but it was the wrong trigger. The safety is directly in front of the trigger.'

The inquest heard that after the emergency services arrived, Mr Beechey told police: 'I shot my friend with an air rifle, it was an accident.'

A post mortem carried out by pathologist Dr Megan Jenkins found the cause of death to be a hypoxic brain injury caused by cardiac arrest resulting from a gunshot wound to the head.

Coroner Jason Pegg recorded a conclusion of accidental death with a lack of weapons-handling skills contributing to the death.

He said that Mr Brown's father, Martin Brown, had thought his son was only planning a small gathering and had told him not to take the air rifle out of the cupboard.

Mr Pegg said: 'The reality was a little bit different, Joshua Brown, like many teenagers, decided to make it into more of a house party, his friends ended up bringing copious amounts of alcohol and within a short time of that party starting, Joshua and his friends were intoxicated with alcohol.'

The coroner continued: 'It's clear to me that he (Joshua) was shown how to use the rifle by his father.

'I am satisfied that Joshua told his friends how to use the weapon, how to load it, how to reload it and how to fire it and I am satisfied he told them how to use the safety catch.'

Mr Pegg said that there had been a 'real risk and a degree of inevitability' of an accident happening among a group of young people drinking.

He added Connor's death was 'devastating' and added: 'This is a deeply tragic case.'

Connor's father, Robert Bell, said: 'He was cheeky and had a caring and soft side, never took himself too seriously and had a wicked sense of humour.'

He said that his son enjoyed football and was a keen gym-goer with aspirations of becoming a personal trainer.

In a statement released after the hearing, Connor's family said: 'Connor was a much-loved boy, who was very sporty and had a large circle of friends.

'This was a tragic accident which led to the loss of Connor.

'His friends conducted CPR at the scene, which allowed our son to be an organ donor and save lives. He has since been awarded an Order of St John in recognition of his donation.

'This incident was a tragedy for all the families involved and we are all supporting each other at this incredibly difficult time.

'We would like to remind the public about the potential dangers of air rifles and the care needed to ensure they are safely stored. They should only be used by people with the necessary skills and weapon-handling training.'

A Hampshire Constabulary spokesman said that a 17-year-old boy from Tadley, now aged 18, who was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm with intent would face no further action.