An Oakland County Circuit Court Judge sentenced Jacob Gean, 28, and Jessie Gean, 29, to probation after their 9-year-old son accidentally shot himself in the hand with an unsecured firearm in their Madison Heights home, according to information obtained from 6 News. The couple had already served three days in Oakland County Jail and must now adhere to a two-year probation period, during which they have to either maintain or seek employment, avoid assaultive behavior, and follow all conditions imposed by the Family Court, including not possessing any firearms or deadly weapons.
During the trial, Jacob Gean, the child's stepfather, addressed the court, explaining the emotional toll the incident had taken on the family, "Me and my wife sincerely regret what happened," he said, his voice breaking with emotion, "The boy is everything to us ... what happened — it broke us, mentally at that time. We apologize and regret what happened. We're sorry, sorry to our son, sorry for everything. We just want our boy home, your honor," Jacob Gean told Oakland Press in a court statement. The court has expressed hope for the reunification of the family through the appropriate legal processes.
Michigan's Safe Storage law, which mandates gun owners to keep unattended firearms unloaded and securely stored in order to prevent access by minors, was cited by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald as a crucial step towards mitigating a public health crisis. "Gun violence is a public health crisis and a leading cause of death among children. It only takes 10 seconds to install a cable lock or a few minutes to properly secure a firearm. Those few moments could prevent an accidental injury or death," McDonald emphasized in a news release sent to 6 News.
The firearms in the Gean household were reportedly secured in a safe, save for the one involved in the accident, which led to the tragic event last August. Following the incident, the Geans removed all firearms from their home and have attended two parenting classes - one as ordered through Children's Protective Services and the other voluntarily, according to Jacob Gean's attorney, Sherman Abdo who spoke to Oakland Press. The couple is now facing the long process of trying to reunite with their children, whose custody will be determined by Oakland County Family Court Judge Lisa Gorcyca.
Authorities underscore the importance of secure storage to prevent such incidents, as under Michigan law, a gun owner can be subject to a felony charge if a minor gains access to a firearm and causes harm, resulting in fines or even a prison sentence. The case of the Geans illustrates the potential consequences of not adhering to this law and has brought attention to the safe storage practices that gun owners must follow, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit.
