For the third time this year, a Macomb County adult is facing charges for violating safe firearm storage laws after a child in his care found a gun and accidentally discharged. In the most recent incident, April Faith Green was arraigned Monday in 37th District Court for safe storage rape and other charges after a 2-year-old boy she was babysitting in Warren shot himself in the stomach.
Warren Police Commissioner Charles Rushton expressed dismay, saying, “The most troubling thing here is that both of these are preventable incidents.” Green, 42, was also charged with second-degree child abuse and two counts of firearms possession. Judge Steven Bieda set her bail at $75,000 cash or surety only, and she is currently being held in the Macomb County Jail, according to reports. USA Today
If Green posts bail, he will be prohibited from possessing firearms and having contact with children under the age of 17. According to Warren PoliceOfficers responded to a home in the 11000 block of Edgemont Street around 6 p.m. Saturday after receiving reports of an injured child. The boy and his 7-year-old sister, who do not live in Warren, were being cared for by Green. Police said Green was awake in her bed when the boy found a gun under her pillow.
The boy, whose name has not been released, was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition. A state law enacted earlier this year mandates that gun owners with minors in the home must store firearms in locked containers. Police said Green, a social worker, cooperated with investigators and that drug or alcohol use was not a factor in the incident.
This incident follows two similar cases in Macomb County this year:
- In June, Demetrius Owens, 27, was charged after his 2-year-old son shot himself in the hand in Eastpointe. Owens is scheduled to appear in Macomb County Circuit Court on Aug. 15 before Circuit Judge Joseph Toia.
- In April, Theo Nichols, 56, of Warren, was charged after his son found a gun and accidentally shot himself in the head.
During a press conference, Warren Mayor Lori Stone stressed the importance of safe gun storage, stating, “As adults, it is our responsibility to keep children safe.” Police Lt. John Gajewski echoed this sentiment, expressing frustration with the recurring nature of these types of incidents.
The police department offers free gun locks with a “no questions asked” policy at the station and at the mayor’s office at City Hall. Commissioner Rushton stressed the importance of securing firearms, saying, “In my 27 years as a police officer, I have never been involved in a case where getting to your firearms 30 seconds sooner would have made a difference in the outcome of a case.
But I can tell you I’ve probably seen hundreds of accidental shootings because someone’s firearm was unsecured.” If convicted, Green faces up to 10 years in prison on the safe storage violation and child abuse charges, along with a mandatory two years on the felony firearm charge.
