Michigan prosecutors charged a father for violating the state’s newly enacted safe storage law after his son allegedly got a hold of a firearm and shot himself in the face in their home.
Theo Nichols’ 8-year-old son was in “extremely critical condition,” at a Detroit hospital following the April 19 incident, police in Warren, Michigan, said at a news conference Wednesday.
Investigators said the boy used a chair to access the handgun which was “unsafely” and insecurely stored on top of a kitchen cabinet.
“In the wake of this tragic incident, we are reminded of the profound responsibility that comes with gun ownership,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement.
Nichols, the child’s mother and three of the child’s siblings were inside the home during the incident, police said. Nichols was not permitted to own a firearm due to a previous drug-related conviction, according to police.
Last year, the Michigan state legislature passed a law that requires firearm owners to either store their weapons in a secure, locked container or have a lock on the weapon if a minor lives in the home or if they know a minor is coming into their home. The law, which went into effect in February, issues lengthy prison time if convicted.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Faith N
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.offthepress.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.