A Grand Rapids man is now facing a felony charge under Michigan's new safe storage law after his 2-year-old son managed to, tragically, shoot himself in the hand with his father's gun. Nakobi Thomas, the boy's father, is charged with safe storage violation with a minor present causing injury, a situation which could see him facing up to five years in prison, as reported by WOODTV. The incident occurred last Saturday morning in an apartment on Prospect Avenue NE.
According to court documents cited by WOODTV, Thomas had struggled to remember if he had placed his gun in the lockbox in his kitchen. He said "he was unsure how (the child) was able to gain access to the firearm and noted that it should have been locked up high away from him however it was not," the document reads. Grand Rapids police subsequently seized several firearms from the home, including a fully loaded gun found behind a violin case in the kitchen, as well as the 9 mm handgun used in the incident from Thomas’ car.
The child's mother, Chloe Bolt, was reportedly in another room when she heard the gunshot and then found her son with a graze wound to his hand. She then drove the child to the hospital in Thomas' vehicle while Thomas secured the weapon used in the shooting. Under the state law that took effect in February, gun owners are now required to "keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked in a locked box or container if it is reasonably known that a minor is likely to be present on the premises," as emphasized by Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker, per WZZM13.
In addition to the charges stemming from the tragic shooting, Thomas is also to confront unrelated drug charges. An investigation into his smoke shop purportedly exposed a scheme where customers could ostensibly buy stickers that would entitle them to receive certain drugs, said FOX 17. This rash of charges paints a dire picture for Thomas, who was booked into the county jail and later released on bond.
