May 19, 2011
A 15-year-old Butte boy was killed Tuesday evening while hunting
near Dewey when a rifle accidentally fired in the pickup truck in
which he was riding, said Beaverhead County Sheriff Jay Hansen.
Dakota Griffin was riding with a brother and two friends just
before
6:50 p.m. in the Jerry Creek drainage west of Divide when the gun
went off, Hansen said in a press release. The party was hunting
gophers and black bears in the area. The hunters were driving on a
rugged road when the gun discharged inside the cab.
Hansen said Griffin’s brother drove to a bar in Dewey and called
for help.
A Beaverhead County sheriff deputy responded and coroners were
called from Beaverhead and Silver Bow counties. The incident is
under investigation.
Hansen did not return a telephone call seeking further comment on
the incident.
Beaverhead County Coroner Ron Briggs said Griffin was shot in the
chest with a rifle. He said Griffin was killed instantly.
Griffin was an eighth-grade student at East Middle School, said
Larry Driscoll, principal. He said Griffin was easy going and
well-liked.
Driscoll had counselors on hand for students who needed to grieve
for the loss and said teachers were talking about the tragedy.
“There were about seven or eight counselors available for anybody
who needed to talk to somebody,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
Arrangements for the boy are pending at Wayrynen-Richards Funeral
Home.
Reporter Nick Gevock may be reached at nick.gevock@mtstandard.com.
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