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Warren mother charged with violating safe storage law
The Macomb County prosecutor told FOX 2 he’s prosecuted maybe a dozen cases under this new law, but it does have unintended consequences.
MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Safe storage laws are back in the spotlight after a 3-year-old in Macomb County accidentally shot himself with an unsecured handgun.
FOX 2 spoke with Macomb co-prosecutor Pete Lucido on the details.
Big picture view:
A Warren woman is facing a felony safe-storage charge after the child allegedly shot himself in the hand with an unsecured handgun that was under a bed.
The Macomb County prosecutor told FOX 2 he’s prosecuted maybe a dozen cases under this new law, but it does have unintended consequences. FOX 2 does not know what will happen with the child, but typically Child Protective Services steps in.
"I don’t like the thought of terminating parental rights, something the court has to do as part of the process," Lucido said.
Prosecutors say the weapon was not locked or equipped with a gun-locking device, as required by Michigan law. The child is in stable condition. His mom, 24-year-old Daniellys Villegas-Moreno, was arraigned in District Court and charged with the maximum offense available under the evidence presented.
"I think officers are only called when something actually happens, not called, and they’re told I saved a life today. I know there’s no way for those kids to understand unless they’re actually exposed," said Lucido.
Dig deeper:
Social scientists evaluate safe storage laws by looking at macro trends rather than individual cases.
They compare statewide and national numbers for unintentional child shootings, youth firearm injuries, and gun-related deaths before and after a law takes effect, and often compare states with safe storage laws to similar states without them.