HOWELL, Mich. – A 41-year-old is facing a child abuse charge after a 2-year-old child gained access to an unsecured gun and shot and killed themself in a Howell home.
UPDATE: Mother pleads no contest after toddler fatally shoots self in Howell
The shooting happened at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 11, at a home in a residential area near Byron and West Highland roads, according to Howell police. The toddler accidentally shot themself and was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Tonya Lacey was arraigned in the 53rd District Court on one charge of second-degree child abuse, a 10-year felony.
“This was a tragic accident caused by an adult failing to properly secure a firearm that sadly made its way into the hands of a curious 2-year-old child,” Howell police said in a press release.
Police said Lacey was home alone with the child when the shooting happened. The father of the child was not home, and the firearm was not registered or connected to him.
“We hope that this incident will help intensify the need to ensure that firearms are safely secured and out of the reach of children. No further comment will be made on this case at this time, as it is in the hands of the Livingston County Prosecutor’s Office,” police said.
Police did not release any other information about this case.