Both parents charged following fatal shooting of 3-year-old in Pontiac
The parents of a 3-year-old boy who was fatally shot inside a Pontiac home on Tuesday were arraigned on Friday, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office says.
Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald charged Kasharae Kristine Herron, 31, and Michael Duriel Lacy, 40, both residents of Pontiac, with failure to store a firearm resulting in death.
Michael McClendon, the parents' 3-year-old son, was shot and killed in Herron's home on Maynard Court, prosecutors say.
Deputies had responded to the residence at around 5:05 p.m. and immediately transported the 3-year-old to McLaren Oakland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the sheriff's office says.
The firearm used in the shooting is registered to Lacy and four other children, all under the age of 8, were present in the home at the time of the shooting, according to prosecutors. The children's mother, Herron, their father, Lacy, and their grandmother were also present, according to the sheriff's office.
The gun was found in the basement, where at least two of the children, including the victim, had been at the time of the shooting, prosecutors say.
The sheriff's office says they recovered a 9 mm handgun, two spent shell casings and a bullet fragment from the basement.
During the investigation, both Lacy and Herron told detectives that they knew the firearm was unsecured in the basement, according to the sheriff's office.
Prosecutors say the felony is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.
According to the sheriff's office, Lacy and Herron were arraigned Friday in the 50th District Court in Pontiac before Judge Cynthia T. Walker, who set bond for each at $25,000 cash or surety, and each will be required to wear a GPS tether if either posts bond.
"This tragedy was entirely preventable, and it is enraging to see another child lose his life so senselessly," said McDonald. "Securing a firearm is simple and effective. It is the legal responsibility of every adult who chooses to possess a firearm."
"On every level, this tragedy was 100 percent preventable. Both suspects knew there was a loaded, unsecured firearm in a home with five children under the age of eight, and now a 3-year-old child is dead," Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "With great rights come equally great responsibilities — and among the most sacred is protecting our children. Nothing that happens in a courtroom can undo this horrific loss or ease this family's pain, but there must be accountability for the reckless behavior that led to it."
A probable cause conference for both is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 29.
Investigation into the case is still ongoing, the sheriff's office says.
