Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed two gun safety bills into law in April, requiring universal background checks for all gun sales and the safe storage of firearms and ammunition in homes which has led to Michigan prosecutors charging a father for violating the state’s newly enacted safe storage law. After his son, allegedly, got a hold of a firearm and shot himself in the face in their home.
Theo Nichols’ 8-year-old son was in “extremely critical condition,” at a Detroit hospital following the April 19 incident, police in Warren, Michigan, said at a news conference Wednesday. Investigators said the boy used a chair to access the handgun which was “unsafely” and insecurely stored on top of a kitchen cabinet.
“In the wake of this tragic incident, we are reminded of the profound responsibility that comes with gun ownership,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement. Nichols, the child’s mother and three of the child’s siblings were inside the home during the incident, police said. Nichols was not permitted to own a firearm due to a previous drug-related conviction, according to police.
Last year, the Michigan state legislature passed a law that requires firearm owners to either store their weapons in a secure, locked container or have a lock on the weapon if a minor lives in the home or if they know a minor is coming into their home. The law, which went into effect in February, issues lengthy prison time if convicted.
Nichols, 56, is the first defendant to be charged with violating that law. He was also arraigned on other charges Monday including child abuse and being charged as a habitual officer third offender, the district attorney’s office said. Nichols was being held on $250,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 30, the district attorney’s office said.
Attorney information for the suspect was not immediately available.