Patrick Bell
A man who said he was "messing" with a gun when it went off and killed 31-year-old Alicia Orman has been given pre-trial diversion.
Patrick Bell got two years suspended for criminally negligent homicide and two years suspended for reckless endangerment. Under pre-trial diversion, the charges can be taken off the record if there are no further infractions.
Family members of the victim had wanted a trial of the case.
Bell appeared on Thursday before Criminal Court Judge Barry Steelman.
In the incident in November 2020, law enforcement responded to a person shot on Airpark Drive. The victim was found with a gunshot wound in their lower back, and she passed away after being transported to Erlanger Hospital.
Police said they observed blood at the bottom of the stairs, and a trail lead all the way up to the third story of the hotel. A search warrant was executed in the room the shooting was believed to have occurred in.
Police said several firearms were found in the room, and a single shell casing was also located on the floor of the room.
One of the firearms collected matched the shell casing, which was a semi-automatic .40 caliber pistol.
After police interviewed witnesses, law enforcement conducted an interview with Bell, who was 22 at the time. Police described his original demeanor as “deceptive,” but Bell also said he wanted to speak the truth about what happened.
Police said Bell told them he purchased a firearm from an individual in the parking lot, a weapon that was unloaded when he purchased it. Bell said he “started messing with the firearm” after getting back to his room.
Bell told police he accidentally pulled the trigger and shot the victim, who was lying on the floor. Police said he told them the recovered firearm was the one used in the incident. Adult witnesses also corroborated the story, police said.
Because two children were also in the vicinity, Bell was charged with reckless homicide and reckless endangerment.
Alicia Orman