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.
