“You think it doesn’t hurt every time I think my grandson could have been dead? It hurts,” said Itterlee McNeil whose eight-year-old grandson found a loaded gun she thought was well hidden in her Detroit home and shot his younger sibling.
Itterlee pleaded guilty to a child abuse charge, and since that accidental shooting in 2022, Itterlee has worked to get the message out to other adults to ensure safe storage of their firearms.
“I’m asking every parent in America to lock your guns. If you have a troubled kid, please get them some help,” said Itterlee who hopes Michigan’s new Safe Storage law will save people from injury or loss of life.
Michigan’s new Safe Storage law takes effect Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
If you’re a gun owner, you must lock your unattended firearm(s) in the presence of anyone under the age of 18.
If a minor obtains a gun because it was not stored properly, the owner of the gun could face a misdemeanor charge with a penalty of up to 93 days in jail.
If a minor obtains a gun and hurts someone with it, the gun owner could face a felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison.