Ethan Lewis Hahn, 24, died on November 20, 2023, in a hunting accident near Adventist Circle in Morganton. He was hunting in Pisgah National Forest with his father, Mark Hahn, when he apparently slipped on a steep, leaf-covered trail; the fall caused his .243 CVA Scout to discharge and fatally wound his upper right arm. His father performed first aid and CPR, but Ethan was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Burke County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission investigated and concluded there was no foul play; the incident has been classified as an accidental shooting and no charges were filed. Ethan graduated as valedictorian from East Burke High School in 2017 and earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science, summa cum laude, from Appalachian State University. He worked as a software engineer at ECRS and was active in Mount Vernon Baptist Church in Boone and East Valdese Baptist Church, participating in mission trips and preparing to travel to share his faith.

Does anyone have information about the trail conditions that day or witnessed the incident?