Flint man Michael Tolbert faces a slew of charges a week after Michigan's new gun storage laws kicked in, following the tragic shooting of his 2-year-old daughter with his gun. According to FOX 2 Detroit, the girl, in critical condition, shot herself on Valentine's Day, leading to charges including a felony for violating the newly implemented law.
First, to be charged under the safe gun storage legislation, upon finding two loaded guns in the Flint home where the young girl incurred her wounds, authorities moved swiftly. As reported by CBS News Detroit, she shot herself through the eye, the bullet exiting the back of her skull.
Detailed by Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, the laws broken by Tolbert include first-degree child abuse and lying to a police officer. The "safe storage" statutes, established on February 13, require guns to be secured and unloaded if minors are likely present. The onset of these laws quickly precedes Tolbert's charges, aiming to prevent instances precisely like the tragedy in Flint.
Gun storage laws come under Michigan's initiative to shore up gun safety; this rule enforces locked-away firearms, especially around children. As Hoodline notes, the Democrats' legislative majority made passing such laws smoother, particularly after recent school shootings in Michigan. Despite some critics' anxieties over rights infringement, proponents assert that the laws bolster safety while respecting the Second Amendment.
A mother of six herself, Michigan State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet expressed shock at the laws' necessity coming so soon. "I did not ever dream that within days of the law going into effect that we would need it - but here we are," she told FOX 2 Detroit. Convictions under these laws can entail up to 15 years in prison, contingent on the severity of the outcome due to improper storage.
