Dad, Son Charged In Death Of Young Sleepover Guest
MARLETTE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Prosecutors in Michigan's Thumb area have charged an ex-con and his pre-teen son in the accidental fatal shooting of an 11-year-old sleepover guest.
MLive.com reports that Sanilac County Prosecutor James V. Young filed the charges Tuesday in the Nov. 23 death of Tyler Dunn. He was killed by a shot from a lever-action rifle at home in Marlette Township, about 65 miles north of Detroit.
"The lack of adult supervision, the presence of guns, and the failure to take appropriate measures to ensure the guns present in the house were out of reach, contributed to this incident," said Young in a statement.
Young said the man is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon and with contributing to the delinquency of a child. The son is charged with careless discharge of a firearm causing death.
The names of the defendants weren't immediately released pending a formal arraignment.
The boys had been left alone for "a considerable period of time" when the incident happened, according to the prosecutor's office. Sanilac County Sheriff Garry Biniecki said an "older model" .30-30 rifle was used in the shooting.
According to his obituary, Tyler was born March 5, 2002, in Sandusky, Mich. As a sixth grader, he enjoyed hunting, trapping, dirt bike riding, playing video games and spending time with family and friends.
A Facebook page has been set up calling for justice for his death.
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