SALT LAKE CITY — A man who accidentally shot his brother on a camping trip spoke publicly about the experience on Wednesday.

Eric Charlton has been in and out of courts since the experience and a judge officially ordered Eric Charlton to serve 90 days in the Juab County Jail. Charlton will report to the jail and begin the sentence on Friday.

Charlton has remained emotional and remorseful through the entire experience.

"The first thing that pops into my mind is, 'Cameron's gone and you did it. You're the cause of it,'" Charlton said.

Charlton said that every day is a nightmare. He was traumatized by the shooting. Then having to face criminal charges in court, his grief became so public. He said that he was ready to move forward and dedicate his life to honoring his brother and sparing others from a similar tragedy.

"He would be friends with the jocks, but he would stick up for the weak guys," Charlton said of his deceased brother.

Charlton and his little brother, Cameron, were best friends.

"He was just a great kid," he said. "He was loved by everyone."

Charlton can't help but get emotional when thinking about his brother. A young life lost because of what Eric blames on his poor judgment.

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Eric Charlton walked into the courtroom Tuesday with his newborn son in his arms.

"Everyone says that 'Oh, you'll forgive yourself in time,'" he said. "I don't think I ever will. I'll always carry that burden."

On May 28, the brothers were on a camping trip at Yuba Lake. Charlton, Cameron and a friend were sitting around a campfire talking and drinking. Cameron always looked up to his brother, and like Charlton had, Cameron wanted to join the Marines. Charlton said he was trying to talk him out of becoming an infantryman.

"I just wanted him to be safe, that was the whole thing," Charlton said. "I cared for the kid so much. I just wanted him to be safe."

Charlton had also been demonstrating shooting techniques. He had emptied and cleared the weapon, a Springfield 1911. He eventually replaced the gun's magazine and holstered it.

With his attorney next to him, Charlton re-enacted what happened when he pulled the gun out of the holster.

"It just came out, went like this, and I hit Cameron's shoulder and it pushed my finger or just the jolt of it, that's what cause it to go off," he said.

Cameron was shot in the head. Eric started chest compressions.

"As I was going through it, I just kept telling him, 'Stick with me Cam, stick with me,'" he said.

But it was too late.

Since the shooting, Charlton keeps Cameron's memory close. For his interview on Wednesday, he wore a hat with Cameron's nickname, "Cam Bam" on it. And he never takes off a band on his wrist that says, "Always Remember Cam Bam."

Charlton also drives by the cemetery every day and visits the gravesite often.

"I just went to the cemetery and just lay there and talked to him and cried, fell asleep next to him," he said. "I just didn't want to leave him."

He is sharing his story so others can make better choices. He said he had a few drinks at the time of the accident, but he also wasn't trained on the type of gun he had that night. He wanted everyone to know that alcohol and firearms don't mix.

"Learn from my mistakes rather than make a stupid mistake and have such drastic consequences as I did," Charlton said.

He will report to the Juab County Jail on Friday to start serving his time. His attorney has asked the judge to allow Charlton to serve the 90 days only on weekends, so he can continue to work and support his wife and two young kids. The judge could make a decision on that by Thursday.

Anyone interested in having Eric Charlton speak to a group or school can contact his attorney, Susanne Gustin, at 801-243-2814.

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