BANGOR, Maine (AP) – The father of a teenage boy who witnessed the accidental shooting death of his older brother has filed a lawsuit in connection with the shooting.

Timothy Sawyer of Bangor is seeking unspecified damages from his ex-wife, the boy who pulled the trigger and the man who gave the boys the guns involved in the shooting. The suit was filed last month in Penobscot County Superior Court.

The lawsuit claims that Sawyer’s 14-year-old son, Nathan, suffers “significant emotional distress” as a result of reckless and negligent conduct by 15-year-old Cody Rioux; Cody’s Rioux father, Scott Rioux; as well as Richelle Lawn. Lawn is Timothy Sawyer’s ex-wife who was engaged to Scott Rioux at the time of the shooting.

Joshua Sawyer, 15, was killed last March when he, his brother and Cody Rioux were target shooting in a field in Norridgewock with guns supplied by Scott Rioux.

Cody Rioux pleaded guilty last month to manslaughter and was sentenced to 225 hours of community service. His father pleaded no contest in September to three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of hunting on Sunday for providing the boys with the ammunition they were using.

Daniel Kagan, a lawyer who represents Timothy Sawyer, said any damages awarded in the case would be used to pay for counseling for Nathan Sawyer. He said scientific evidence shows that there are immediate and long-term effects from something as traumatic as witnessing the death of a sibling.

“Whether now or down the road, what we’re seeking is to get a boost (for Nathan Sawyer) so he can overcome this horrific event,” Kagan said.

A response to the lawsuit has not been filed in court, but Kagan said he expects the complaint would be passed on to the companies that provide homeowners’ liability insurance for Scott Rioux and Lawn.

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