Authorities have identified one of the two men who died in a shooting that authorities are investigating as a murder-suicide after they argued at a boat launch in northwestern Montana. Eric Newman 40-year-old Oregon resident, was shot and killed at a Montana boat ramp Wednesday afternoon during an argument with 51-year-old Christopher Foster, of Kalispell, Montana who later shot and killed himself, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office reported.
The Missoulian reported that authorities were dispatched to the Rexford Bench boat launch near Eureka at 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday due to reports of a shooting. The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office claimed in a statement that Eric and Christopher, 51, were arguing while loading boats.
According to the sheriff’s office, Newman got into his car to back down the ramp, and Foster then reportedly pulled out a revolver and shot Newman. According to the statement, Newman retreated to the parking lot and was subsequently discovered in his vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Both men died at the scene. Eureka Police, US Border Patrol personnel, the US Forest Service, and the Eureka Volunteer Ambulance Department all responded. An investigation is now underway.
