Family's desperate bid to repatriate man killed in freak US shooting
Eric 'The Viking' Filmalter, 26, died after firing a shot from a firearm that he did not think was loaded.
Image: GoFundMe
A South African family is desperately trying to raise funds to bring home the remains of their loved one, killed in a freak shooting incident in the United States.
Eric 'The Viking' Filmalter, 26, died after firing a shot from a firearm that he did not think was loaded.
Humboldt County Sheriff's Office explained that Filmalter had been handling a gun and had mistakenly fired a shot.
Police do not suspect foul play and have ruled out death by suicide.
Eric and Manisha Filmalter were married in February this year.
Image: GoFundMe
His family has since revealed it will cost around R300,000 to bring Filmalter's remains back to South Africa.
"Unfortunately, he did not have insurance that covers this type of tragedy. That is why we are asking for help. If there are any funds left over we will use it to help pay for Manisha’s studies," shared Filmalter's sister, Laurette Grobler.
"As a family, we want to bring him home so he can rest in South-African soil — the ground upon which he ran as a boy, got up to mischief, and grew up alongside his cousins," read a passage from Filmater's GoFundMe page.
According to the post, Filmalter and his wife, Manisha, were married in February this year and any monies left over will be used to help with Manisha's studies.
So far, more than R120,000 has since been raised.
IOL