A man in Grand Rapids is charged with a felony for a safe storage violation after a teenager's accidental shooting, alongside several drug-related offenses. Melvin Tommy-Shawn-Kelly House faces up to five years in prison or a fine of $5,000 for the safe storage violation causing injury, WOODTV reports. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker brought the charges following an incident where a 15-year-old family member of House accidentally shot himself in the shoulder yesterday.
According to FOX 17, in addition to the safe storage violation, House is also charged with possession of a controlled substance and intent to deliver which under Michigan law could lead to separate penalties, including a 20-year felony for the latter. The seriousness of these charges highlights the legal and societal focus on holding individuals accountable for leaving weapons within reach of children.
The shooting occurred yesterday near Sherman Street SE and Benjamin Avenue SE, and the teen was reported to have non-life-threatening injuries; the incident is believed to have been accidental, WZZM 13 adds. Michigan's safe storage law mandates that firearms must be stored unloaded in a locked container or box when minors are likely to be present, a legislative effort aimed at reducing incidents of preventable tragedies caused by firearms left within a child's reach.
Becker, while speaking on the intent of the law and its consequences, elucidated "There’s the need to try to hold someone, hold the adults, accountable because generally the kids should not have had access to those guns. A safe gun owner should put them away and store them appropriately," in a statement obtained by WOODTV. This case follows another recent incident where on Oct. 26, a 2-year-old shot himself in the hand after accessing a gun at home, leading to similar safe storage charges filed against the father, Nakobi Thomas, who also faces drug charges and is soon to reappear in court.
A wide range of safe storage tools, like cable locks, gun cases, and safes, are available to gun owners, with community programs like Project Child Safe offering free gun locks at local police stations.
