PLEASANT GROVE — The entire family knew Colton Louder was struggling with drugs.
But they didn't know he had a gun.
"That was a shock to all of us," said Jeff Wilson, Louder's uncle.
It's a shock that echoes each day as the family struggles to deal with the loss of two loved ones.
Louder, 25, is sitting in the Utah County Jail with a bail of $1 million, facing allegations of murder and burglary.
Jeffery Boyd Ackerman, 45, died Friday afternoon after being shot three to four times by his struggling nephew, according to police.
"We're dealing with it," Wilson said. "We love Colton. He made a devastating mistake … (and) he's going to have to live with this."
Ackerman had been loading four-wheelers onto a truck Friday in his dad's driveway in Pleasant Grove, just minutes away from heading to St. George to visit his two young daughters, when Louder arrived.
Wilson believes Ackerman must have yelled to ask what Louder was doing at the home, because Louder got scared and took off.
"He was scared all the time," Wilson said of Louder. "I believe from the drugs. He was so paranoid that he was seeing things."
Louder must have been especially frightened of Ackerman that day, Wilson said, because during the chase across backyards and lawns, police say Louder pulled out a gun and fired several times, stopping Ackerman instantly.
"From what we can see, we feel that Jeff chased Colton to stop him," Wilson said. "Jeff's been helping Colton; they've been getting along great. There's never been any confrontation between the two of them, ever."
In fact, the night before, Ackerman had tried to visit Louder but didn't find him at home.
Wilson said their family has watched Louder change from a kind, outdoors-loving young man into a person deeply entrenched in an overwhelming addiction.
"Just lately things have gone downhill for him in life," Wilson said. "His parents have been trying to get him some help to deal with it because we were all afraid he was going to harm himself or something was going to happen to him."
Louder had disappeared for several days prior to Friday's shooting, and family members feared the worst.
But Friday afternoon, Louder appeared at his beloved grandparents' home, his "haven," the place he felt safe, Wilson said.
Then the worst thing happened in a way no one could have imagined.
Neighbors called police to say they saw two men chasing each other across driveways and lawns, then they heard shots and saw a man fall. The first man kept running, even trying to hide in garages and backyards, according to a police report filed in 4th District Court.
Wilson said that after Louder was arrested that afternoon, he told his mother he didn't know what had happened.
Family members believe the drugs had completely clouded Louder's thinking. Drugs had changed him.
"We all know he's going to be devastated when he finally finds out what he did," Wilson said. "Because Colton knew Jeff was there to take care of him."
Ackerman was the type of man who lived for the outdoors, Wilson said. He loved his family and was devoted to caring for his elderly father. But his ultimate joy came from being with his two young daughters, who live with their mother in St. George.
"You go in his bedroom and all he has are pictures of his daughters," Wilson said. "That was his life."
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Ackerman's name to Life Line Utah, a youth drug counseling program. More information is available at www.lifelineutah.com.
"Donate to any abuse program. I believe that's the best thing we can do for our youth and our adults at this time," said Wilson, who is also a retired Pleasant Grove police officer.
"If we don't help them at this time, there's a possibility of another problem happening with some other family."
E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com