A 14-year-old was shot dead in a sleepy village when a group of friends were "messing around with an air rifle", neighbours said.
Two teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the boy's death on Sunday.
The youth who died is believed to have been hit in the neck by a pellet at an address in Thurston near Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.
Emergency services received reports a boy had sustained "life-threatening injuries" at the home at 1.35pm.
A villager who lives nearby told the Daily Telegraph: "I was told that it was a group of boys who play together quite a lot. I think they were messing around with an air rifle.
"It went off and a pellet hit the boy in the neck and he didn't make it.
"A lot of people have air rifles around here and we never believed they could kill someone."
He was taken to West Suffolk Hospital, in Bury St Edmunds, but died shortly afterwards.
Suffolk Police said they believe there was a "discharge of a firearm" and are investigating.
The two suspects have been taken to Bury St Edmunds Police Investigation Centre for questioning.
"Police have arrested two teenage boys on suspicion of manslaughter, and they have been taken to
Bury police investigation centre for questioning."
It is not clear in which part of his body the dead boy had been fatally injured.
"At the scene one patient, a male teenager, was treated for serious to life-threatening injuries.
"After this treatment he was conveyed by land to West Suffolk Hospital."
Police refused to disclose the ages of the arrested suspects.
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