Police: Stoneham firefighter drinking, passing around gun before deadly shooting

STONEHAM, Mass. — An off-duty Stoneham firefighter and veteran was shot and killed Tuesday night after drinking and playing with a gun, said police.

The victim, 24-year-old David Atherton, had been drinking alcohol and passing around a gun with other people when he was shot by his friend, Patrick O'Connor, said police. Officers were called to the Congress Street home around 11:10 p.m. and Atherton was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said the deadly shooting appeared to have been "an unintended consequence of this behavior." In court Wednesday, the prosecutor said the two men had been funneling beers and taking mobile phone videos of themselves with the gun. O'Connor even "ingested a bullet" prior to the shooting, said the prosecutor.

O'Connor, a 23-year-old Stoneham man and Atherton's childhood friend, was arrested and charged with his death. O'Connor was charged with involuntary manslaughter, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and discharging a firearm.

The Stoneham Fire Department said that Atherton had just graduated Massachusetts Firefighting Academy on June 10. He grew up in Stoneham and before pursuing firefighting, he and O'Connor were both in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. Atherton was deployed in Qatar from 2012 to 2014 and received eight awards during his National Guard career, including the Army Commendation Medal. Friends say that O'Connor was also deployed overseas.

O'Connor first told police the victim shot himself, but then admitted to pulling the trigger, claiming he didn't think there was a bullet in the chamber.

"He acknowledged that he had been fooling around with the gun, he pointed it at the victim and pulled the trigger/but did not expect a bullet would come out," said prosecutors.

Atherton will be buried with full military and fire department honors.

Cox Media Group