Camping Trip Turns Deadly
Right now family and friends of 15-year-old Eric Myers are paying their last respects at a funeral home in Opelousas. The teenager is dead from what deputies said appears to be an accidental shooting.
It happened on private property near his grandfather's house in Port Barre. Investigators said Eric Myers was shot in the head. Deputies said his cousin, who was with him at the time of the incident, called 911 around 1:30 Thursday morning.St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said, "we have one boy telling us what happened and one boy dead."
Five teen year-old Myers and his cousin often went camping on private property near their grandfather's house off of Bay Ridge Road . The two were out in the middle of the woods Wednesday night. Myer's cousin tells deputies they brought a pistol for protection.
"They obtained the weapon from the grandfather's house," Guidroz said. "Whether it was given to them or they took it without permission, we don't know that yet or I don't know that yet."
Myers cousin told deputies the two were playing with the gun and Eric accidentally shot himself. He died in the hospital not long after. Sheriff Guidroz said investigators are still talking to Myer's family and friends to make sure no one else was out in the woods that night.
"We want to make sure if there weren't other parties out there," Guidroz said, "we are not saying that anybody is not telling us the truth, we just want to know the facts."
Family members tell us Eric, who is also known as Lil Joe was a happy teenager who loved the outdoors especially fishing. His funeral will be held tomorrow at 1 pm at Sibille Funeral Home in Opelousas.
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