LANSING, Mich — A 4-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed herself on Lansing's north side last week, according to Lansing police.
- A 4-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed herself in Lansing after finding a gun that was stored under a couch.
- 22-year-old Maliki Pendergrass faces six felony charges, including unsafe firearm storage and illegal gun possession.
- The charges were filed under Michigan's safe storage law, which has been in effect for nearly two years and requires proper gun security when minors could access firearms
The Ingham County Prosecutor's Office has charged 22-year-old Maliki Pendergrass with six felony counts, including unsafe firearm storage and illegal gun possession, in connection with the child's death.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the child's mother was asleep in the living room with her boyfriend, Pendergrass, at the time of the shooting. Court documents say the mother told police she woke up after hearing a gunshot and saw her 4-year-old daughter had been shot.
Pendergrass told police he had pushed the gun under the couch the night before, but after the shooting, found it on the floor near the child's feet, court documents say. The couch was raised several inches, allowing easy access to items underneath.
The charges come nearly two years after Michigan's safe storage law went into effect. The law requires gun owners to properly secure firearms when minors could access them.
Online court records do not list an attorney for Pendergrass. He is due back in court next month.
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