DETROIT – A Detroit man will spend at least 25 years in prison for the shooting death of his 9-year-old son, even though prosecutors said it was his 10-year-old daughter who was handling the gun when it went off.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Christopher Head’s daughter was mimicking a video game with a loaded shotgun when it went off Nov. 9, 2015, killing Daylen Head in a home on Barton Street.
Head was charged with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child abuse and firearm violations after prosecutor Kym Worthy said the gun should have been secured.
“The defendant knowingly kept a loaded, unsecured, sawed-off shotgun in his bedroom closet. His room was also where the video game console was located, where all the children play the video games,” Worthy said.
Head initially pleaded guilty to the charges, but withdrew his plea in April. A jury found him guilty of all the charges, except second-degree murder.
He was sentenced Monday to 25 to 50 years on the manslaughter charge, 10 to 50 years on the child abuse charge and 5 to 50 years on the weapons charges.
He read the following in court:
“Beware of the beautiful days. Bad things happen on even some of the most beautifulness days. It may be when you take your children to see the fireworks in downtown Detroit. It may be when you put your children on the football team and your daughter on the cheerleading squad allowing them to pursue some of their goals and dreams in their lives. It may be when you take your children to Ridge Park to play in the park, ride the kiddie train, fishing, and even hayrides with the horses. It may be when you take them to Belle Isle, to the beach to feed the ducks, the geese, and to ride the giant slide. It may be when you take your children to Cedar Point for the first time in their lives, singing songs on the highway, bonding with their children, feeling the excitement and love of our experience together. Being told, “Daddy you are the best Dad ever, you take us to all the good places”. It may be when you take your children to the Best Western hotel to go swimming with their cousins, nieces and nephews to where we all participate, swim, play, and eat food from different fast food restaurants. Then it can be when you got your own full bedroom home on land contract after serving five years in prison and two years on parole which felt like being locked up for seven years from 2006 to 2013. So your honor, as you can see, it was such a wonderful feeling finally getting control of my life again, as a human being, a man, a father, as well as being able to support my children again. I know I was doing my job as a father, because before my children could get home, they used to call me and say, “Daddy you might as well come over now, because by the time you get here, our chores will be done, our clothes will be packed, and we’ll go”. I used to laugh to myself and told my daughter that, “Daddy is on his way my little princess”. She would say, “Daddy I like it when you call me your little princess” and I used to laugh to myself with tears streaming down my face. I am a good father your honor, I made a mistake and I know that I am going to be held accountable, but by taking me away from my babies for a long time, I don’t think that that should be the solution. I just want you to know that I am so sorry and I love my children and my children love me.”
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