Oakland County couple sentenced after son shoots self with unsecured gun
A Michigan couple was sentenced to probation in the case of a 9-year-old child accidentally shooting himself in the hand with an unsecured shotgun.
Jacob Gean, 28, who is the child's stepfather, and Jessie Gean, 29, who is the child's mother, were sentenced Monday in Oakland County Circuit Court on a violation of Michigan's Safe Storage Gun law. The couple lives in Madison Heights.
The law went into effect in February 2024. It requires adults to keep unattended firearms unloaded and stored with a locking device, or in a locked box, if it is "reasonably known" that a minor will be nearby.
The case involving the Geans was one of several such cases filed in Michigan in the months since the law took effect.
"I'm hopeful the Safe Storage Law and cases like this will encourage people to take a few minutes and confirm their guns are stored safely," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said in the statement. "It only takes 10 seconds to install a cable lock or a few minutes to properly secure a firearm. Those few moments could prevent an accidental injury or death."
The accidental shooting involving the child happened in August 2024. That's when Jessie Gean's 9-year-old son handled Jacob Gean's gun, which was left unattended in a jacket pocket at the home.
The child's left hand was injured; he received medical treatment.
Under the charges that were filed, the Geans could have faced up to 10 years in prison. They instead got two years of probation on top of time served for three days in Oakland County Jail.
The probation stipulations include no possession of any firearms or deadly weapons.
