Back in 2017, Johann Ofner, a professional stunt double, was shot and killed during the shooting of a Bliss N Eso music video. Five years later, a judge has ruled that he died from “criminal actions.”
Ofner was killed on January 23rd of that year while filming The Dreamers production of the music video for the hip hop trio’s ‘Friend Like You’ music video at Brisbane’s Brooklyn Standard bar. He died from fall gunshot injuries after a swan-off shotgun loaded with blank cartridges fired into his chest.
As reported by news.com.au, coroner Donald MacKenzie provided his findings into the Gold Coast man’s death on Tuesday, stating that the gunshot wounds caused heart failure. “Transmitted force, rather than penetration of the projectile, caused the shot,” MacKenzie explained.
It followed last year’s inquest in which the court was told that several other replica handguns – and a submachine gun – were also to be used on the music video set. No tests fired were tried out with the shotgun on the day of filming and the shells had also been illegally obtained.
Ofner had been given a “jerk vest” as protection that would pull him back, simulating the impact of the gun when it was fired by his fellow stuntman Shinji Ikefuji. The findings didn’t suggest that Ikefuji had done anything wrong in the fatal shooting.
It was licensed armourer Warren Ritchie that provided the shotgun but MacKenzie stated it was “not permitted” for use in theatrical productions like such as the music video. MacKenzie also said the “homemade” shells loaded into the shotgun were “effectively a projectile” as they contained a mixture of ignition powder, cloth wadding and a plastic casing.
The shotgun had none of the protections installed in the other replica handguns that would have prevented the firing of any projectiles.
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MacKenzie blasted the safety and training on the music video set – there had been no site and safety controller and no firearm safety briefings at all. No test firing to establish proper distances took place.
“The critical lesson from this tragedy is that Mr Ofner died because of criminal actions, his death was avoidable,” MacKenzie said. “All weapons supplied under Mr Ritchie’s Theatrical Ordinance Supplier licence must have been blank fire or permanently inoperable.”
The court was informed that Ritchie could have the charge of manslaughter had he not died in August 2017. Adam Corless, however, a firearms store employee who supplied Ritchie with the blank cartridges, received a fine after pleading guilty to manufacturing explosives without authority and the unauthorised sale of explosives.
