In a tragic incident that saw a 5-year-old Michigan boy shot dead by a young relative, the grandparents of the 5-year-old are now facing felony charges under Michigan’s new safe storage law, WZZM 13 reported. That law is the same one under which James and Jennifer Crumbley, parents of a school shooter, were both found guilty and sentenced to prison for their child’s actions.
On April 1, Braxton Dykstra was at his grandparents’ home when he was shot and killed by his 6-year-old cousin, who found an unsecured 12-gauge shotgun behind a bedroom door. According to court documents, the fatal event took place while the children were watching a movie in their grandparents’ bedroom.
The grandparents, Karl and Theresa Robart, have been charged with one count of Firearms – Safe Storage Violation – with a minor present. Investigators found multiple firearms in the home, including a loaded pistol in a dresser drawer close to where the children were playing, and other unsecured long guns in a bedroom closet.
“This setup failed to adhere to laws necessitating unattended firearms to be unloaded and securely locked away, especially with children expected to be present,” stated the prosecuting attorney’s office, as reported by Fox 17.
Braxton’s father, Domynic Dykstra, has been vocal about the need for stricter enforcement of gun storage laws following his son’s death.
“My main goal right now is to obviously stop this from happening again,” Dykstra told WZZM 13. He is advocating for “Braxton’s Law” to prevent such tragedies and believes the mother of the 6-year-old shooter should also face charges.
The Robarts pleaded not guilty to the charges and are each held on a $50,000 bond, with further court appearances scheduled. If convicted, they face up to 15 years in prison.
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