Detroit Parents Charged After Son, 5, Fatally Shoots Himself: Police

DETROIT — The parents of a 5-year-old boy who fatally shot himself with an unsecured gun inside a Detroit home Saturday are facing charges, accordion to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.

Officers found the 5-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to his face at 1:24 p.m. at a home in the 16500 block of Greenfield Road, police said.

The child was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died, police said.

Sturlin Markese Minion Sr., 33, and Halisa Lloydnette-Christine Brown, 25, were each charged with involuntary manslaughter, three counts of second-degree child abuse and four counts of felony firearm. Minion Sr. has also been charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm.

Both parents were placed in jail on a $250,000 personal bond. They are not to possess alcohol or guns, and are not allowed to have contact with any children, including their own. Their next court date is scheduled for Dec. 28.

Investigators determined no one was watching the child inside the home where he found an unsecured handgun and fired it, fatally shooting himself in the face.

Investigators also said there were four other children inside the home at the time of the shooting, including an 8-year-old, two 7-year-olds and a 4-year-old.

"I have said before and I will say this again and again: What is it going to take for gun owners to store their weapons safely when children are in their homes? How many more children must die? It takes mere minutes to store a gun safely," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "Is a child’s death not worth minutes of one’s time?"