MELROSE — It has been one week since an 18-year-old Butte man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound while hanging out with friends in a remote area west of Melrose in Southwest Montana. Now, the young man’s family is sharing his life story in order to bring awareness to gun safety.
"If one good thing can come from this, we’d want to show just how important it is to handle guns safely. All it takes is just one second or one slip of the finger," says Hope Lucier, the older sister of the victim.
Aric Lewis died around 6 p.m. on Aug. 25th from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The Beaverhead County Sheriff says marijuana and alcohol were factors in the incident, and an investigation is ongoing.
Two teens who were present at the time of Aric’s death told his family that the shooting was accidental.
"He took his last breath, doing his favorite thing with his favorite people in a place that he loved, and I think we get some closure out of that," says Lucier.
There is no cell service where the shooting took place. Lucier says Aric’s friends, aged 17 and 18-years-old, acted quickly after the shooting took place. They rushed for first aid and applied CPR before a US Forest Service fire crew encountered the teens near the intersection of Trapper Creek Road and Canyon Creek Road. The fire crew called for help.
"Braxton was holding his hand to hold pressure on Aric in the back of the truck as Brendon drove down the road," says Joshua Allen, Aric's stepfather.
Aric passed away before authorities arrived on the scene.
WATCH: Butte family urges firearm awareness following son’s death
"He was very independent. He loved the woods and camping," says Allen.
Aric was a recent graduate of Butte High School. He loved to write songs and play guitar, and he loved working on his Chevy truck. His family says he was on his way to a bright future as a plumber after recently placing top five in his class. Lucier says her family does not condone the use of alcohol and marijuana for minors and she wants people to learn from her brother’s tragic death.
"If you are handling firearms when you are sober you need to be responsible in handling them appropriately. If you are not sober then you should not handle a firearm."
A celebration of Aric’s life will take place at the Studio 6 Conference Hall from 3 p.m. to 7p.m. on September 13 in Butte.
RELATED — Beaverhead County Sheriff investigates death of Butte man near Melrose
