WARREN, Mich. – An 8-year-old boy remains in critical condition after accidentally shooting himself in the face in Warren.
The incident occurred on Friday, April 19, after he reportedly found an unsecured handgun inside of his home at the Cove on 10 Apartment Complex on 10 Mile and Hoover roads. Both parents and his 6-year-old sister were home at the time of the shooting.
Police said the boy used a chair to access the loaded handgun, which was on top of a kitchen cabinet.
He was rushed to Ascension St. John for treatment where he remains in “extreme critical condition.”
Police spoke out Wednesday, April 24, about the incident and said it could have been prevented with a gun lock.
“This incident was preventable,” said interim Warren Police Commissioner Charles Rushton. “Very simple steps could have been taken to prevent the child from having access to a loaded weapon.”
The boy’s father, Theo Nichols, is the first person in Macomb County to be charged under Michigan’s safe storage laws. In addition to the firearm safe storage violations, Nichols was charged with second-degree child abuse and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
Police said Nichols is a convicted felon who could not possess a firearm and that he bought one off the street.
Authorities are pushing the importance of gun locks as a safety precaution that people can get for free from most law enforcement offices.
“It takes about 15 seconds to lock the gun,” Rushton said. “If this had been used, this tragedy would not have happened.”
The Warren Police Department said it doesn’t matter if the gun is registered or not, its focus is on protecting children.
“The only question we will ask is ‘How many do you need?’” Rushton said.
Nichols’ bond was set at $250,000, cash/surety only. He is expected to return to court for a probable cause hearing April 30.