In the late summer of 2017, a gathering of friends in Eagle River, Wisconsin, took a tragic turn, ending the life of 20-year-old Connor Stephens, a White/Caucasian male. On the evening of Sunday, September 3, 2017, Stephens was with a group of friends when he was shot in the chest. Emergency services were called, and he was rushed to Ascension Eagle River Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His official date of passing is listed by some sources as September 4, 2017.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified a suspect, an 18-year-old friend of Stephens. It was determined that the shooting was not intentional but rather a result of mishandling a firearm. The friend, Jeremiah Solis, had reportedly been "playing" with a handgun he had purchased just two days prior. According to reports, Solis was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the incident. Believing the gun was unloaded, he pointed it and pulled the trigger, firing a single bullet that struck and killed Stephens. The Eagle River Police Chief at the time described the incident as a heartbreaking case of negligence where basic gun safety was not followed.
Jeremiah Solis was arrested and initially booked on a possible charge of homicide by negligent handling of a weapon. He was later formally charged with homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon. In the subsequent legal proceedings, Solis pleaded no contest to the charge. During the sentencing, the court heard emotional testimony recounting the events of that fatal night. In June 2019, Solis, then 21, was sentenced to one year of incarceration as part of a broader sentence that included probation. The judge presiding over the case described the death of Connor Stephens as an "unspeakable tragedy" and a "preventable accident."
