A 34-year-old Detroit man, Morris Stephen Brown, is facing felony charges after an incident in which his 6-year-old son found an unsecured handgun at home and accidentally shot himself in the thumb. ClickOnDetroit reported the shooting happened at around 4:35 p.m. on May 22, in the 3100 block of South Ethel Street.
According to police information shared with WWJ Newsradio 950, the child was taken to the hospital where he received treatment for the injury. A statement from the prosecutor's office stated that Brown has been charged with safe storage violations premises under individuals control, minor present and injured self or another, felon in possession of a firearm, and felony firearm.
The charges follow Michigan's recent safe storage law that took effect on February 13, which mandates gun owners to responsibly keep their firearms out of minors' reach. As reported by The Detroit News, the boy's grandmother was at home at the time of the shooting.
Brown was arraigned on June 20 in the 36th District Court, and a judge has set a $50,000 personal bond, explicitly ordering that he not possess any weapons. The preliminary court dates are a probable cause conference scheduled for June 27 and a preliminary examination planned for July 2. Brown's attorney, Marc Hart, has not immediately responded to requests for comment concerning the case.
