On Sunday, a toddler from Howell, Michigan lost his life in a tragic shooting accident.
The two-year-old child found an unsecured firearm. He was accidentally shot around 6 p.m. After he was rushed to a local hospital, the child was later pronounced dead.
The incident prompted a joint investigation by the Howell Police Department and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office. The toddler’s death has added to a growing list of similar shootings in Michigan.
This recent event follows closely on the heels of another horrifying incident involving a six-year-old boy. The child accidentally shot his baby brother twice in Detroit after locating an unattended firearm. The one-year-old victim is expected to recover fully.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill in April to enforce safe storage requirements for firearms. This measure was put in place in response to over 110 incidents involving children and firearms recorded in Michigan since 2015.
However, despite these measures, there have been several incidents where children were able to access unsecured firearms. In May, another two-year-old boy tragically shot himself with a gun left on the couch by his mother’s boyfriend. This led to charges of involuntary manslaughter against the boyfriend.