STONEHAM, Mass. (AP) — Funeral services have been held for a Massachusetts firefighter who authorities say was shot by a friend while they were drinking and playing with a handgun.
David Atherton was laid to rest Thursday in the veterans section of Lindenwood Cemetery in Stoneham following a funeral Mass at St. Patrick’s Church.
Police have said Atherton’s friend Patrick Riccardi-O’Connor admitted shooting him on June 28 while they were “fooling around with the gun.”
Riccardi-O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. He told police he didn’t think the gun was loaded.
The 24-year-old Atherton and the 23-year-old Riccardi-O’Connor were military police officers in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. They had been friends since childhood.
A large contingent of firefighters and Guardsmen attended the services for Atherton.
(Copyright (c) 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)