LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Avis Damone Coward, 44, of Lansing, will spend 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of firearms— and his role in the self-inflicted gunshot death of 2-year-old King Muhammad in October 2023 that he attempted to conceal.
Muhammad’s mother, 24-year-old Emma Huver, previously pled guilty to illegally possessing the firearm related to the death of her son and was sentenced to 5 years . A third individual, Gina Schieberl, pled guilty to tampering with evidence.
On Oct. 24, 2023, Coward got out of a GMC Yukon at a Lansing gas station and went inside, leaving Muhammad and Huver in the car. While playing in the car, Muhammad found Coward’s illegally possessed gun and shot himself in the face. Huver admitted to being on her phone and not paying attention to her child.
Surveillance video showed a bullet hole appearing in the car window a minute after Coward got out of the car.
Huver exited the car holding Muhammad. As she did so, Coward’s gun fell out of the car.