Michigan man charged after 2-year-old dies from accidental gun discharge
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A Michigan man has been charged after his gun allegedly accidentally discharged and led to the death of a 2-year-old boy in October.
Avis Damone Coward has been charged with felon in possession, according to U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten.
On Oct. 24, Coward allegedly exited his car and entered a Lansing gas station.
While he did this, he left a 2-year-old child and his mother in the car. Video footage shows that about a minute later, a bullet hole appeared in the car window.
Officials say the mother exited the car holding the boy, who had blood on his from the gunshot wound. He later died from the injuries.
When she got out, Coward's gun fell out of the car. After he returned from the gas station, he picked up the gun and put it back in the car.
"Death of child by gunfire is a story that should never be written," said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. "Yet beginning in 2022, and for the first time ever, gun violence has become the number one cause of death for kids in America. As this swelling epidemic reaches our most innocent, my office will use every resource available to secure full accountability and prevent future harm."