ANACONDA – The man who shot and killed his wife and three children Sunday in a remote cabin near Deer Lodge blamed the tragedy on his wife, telling an acquaintance she had been "mocking him and riding him all day," authorities said Tuesday.

Michael Augustine Bournes, 59, used a .45-caliber pistol to kill his wife, Arie Arlynn Lee, 37, and their children, Augustine Lee Bournes, 5, Woodrow Lee Bournes, 4, and Arie Lee Bournes, 1. Each victim was shot once in the head, Anaconda-Deer Lodge Chief of Law Enforcement Tim Barkell said during a news conference.

Bournes then started the cabin on fire, and turned the gun on himself. He had called the acquaintance to tell of his plans shortly before the shooting. When law enforcement arrived, all five were dead. The cabin sustained some fire damage, but did not burn to the ground.

<snip>

Barkell said based on books found in the cabin, Bournes “was definitely a Constitutionalist and didn’t believe in government.” He also described the couple as "the survivalist type."