Two Flint parents have been charged with multiple felonies related to the accidental shooting of their 4-year-old daughter, who lost a finger in the incident.
According to an investigation by the Flint Police Department, Eric Brown, 32, and Alicia Brown, 31, were at home with their four children when one of their 4-year-old twin daughters went into a closet, apparently to get a toy.
Instead, police say she grabbed a loaded gun that was being kept in the closet and it fired a round, striking her in the finger.
She was taken to the hospital and her left index finger had to be amputated as a result.
Eric and Alicia are each charged with second degree child abuse, obstruction of justice and lying to a peace officer in a violent crime investigation. Eric was additionally charged with a fourth count, felony firearm.
According to investigative reports, the parents routinely kept multiple handguns and rifles in the closet with some of them loaded. Kids' toys were also kept in the same closet, and there was no gun safe in the house.
"This is a terrible, tragic and preventable incident," said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. When there are children present in a home where guns are kept, I cannot stress enough
that parents must be extra careful and vigilant to ensure the safety of their children and
others."
