A stuntman and former Ninja Warrior contestant who was shot dead while filming a music video for hip hop trio Bliss N Eso 'died because of criminal actions', a coroner has found.
An inquest into Johann Ofner's death concluded on Tuesday, with the coroner determining the young father's death was an 'avoidable tragedy'.
The 28-year-old from the Gold Coast died from fatal gunshot wounds after a prop gun loaded with blank cartridges was fired at his chest on set at Brisbane's Brooklyn Standard bar in January 2017.
'It is evident that what occurred on 23 January 2017 can only be described as an accumulation of errors that resulted in tragedy,' coroner Donald MacKenzie said on Tuesday.
He placed the blame almost entirely on Warren Ritchie, who was employed as the armourer on set.
The criminal investigation was aided by the disturbing fact that Mr Ofner's death was captured on camera.
Mr Ritchie, who has since died of natural causes, would have 'almost certainly' faced criminal charges if he were still alive, and could have spent more than a decade behind bars if convicted.
The live sawn-off 12-guage shotgun he provided was never test-fired before it was shot at Mr Ofner. It was also capable of shooting live rounds, meaning it was not legally able to be used on set, despite assurances from Mr Ritchie.
The gunfight sequence was thought to be a success until people realised that Mr Ofner had been shot and injured
By all accounts, Mr Ritchie was well regarded in the industry, but was critically unwell at the time of the shoot and reliant on prescribed opioid medications which the coroner found may have impacted his judgement.
The shotgun cartridges used in the music video were supplied to Mr Ritchie by Adam Corless, a firearms dealer who was self-taught in reloading ammunition.
Before his death, Mr Ritchie told Mr Corless he had previously used six of his cartridges on a separate minor production and 'nothing had happened'.
He said 'it was the same situation' and that he'd directed the actor with the gun to 'aim to the side'.
Corless pleaded guilty to one charge of manufacturing explosives without authority and the unauthorised sale of explosives in the Brisbane Magistrates Court in 2018.
He was fined $2,500, after telling the court he had no idea the cartridges would be used indoors.
During the inquest, Mr Ofner's mother Maria provided a statement revealing she had cancer and was distraught by her eldest son's death.
'The grief will follow me to my grave,' she said.
Ms Ofner said her son, himself a father-of-one, could 'light up a room' and said her world, which was once filled with love and laughter, had been plunged into darkness.
The inquest heard calls for an overhaul of the entertainment industry's firearm safety restrictions in the wake of the accident.
Stunt coordinator Judd Wild, known for his work on Mad Max: Fury Road, backed calls for a safety overhaul but said he believed the set was safe.
'If I thought there was any risk of him being struck by a projectile we wouldn't have done the scene full stop,' Mr Wild said.
