Pontiac parents charged with not hiding gun properly after child's death

In a parental responsibility case, the Oakland County prosecutor is pursuing criminal charges against the parents of a 3-year-old Pontiac boy who was shot and killed at home, allegedly by someone who got a hold of a loaded gun that wasn't properly secured in the house. The case comes following the historic case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the convicted parents of the Oxford High School shooter who were held criminally responsible for failing to secure a gun that their son got a hold of, and used to shoot up his school in 2021, killing four students and injuring seven others, including a teacher. In this latest case, authorities said, the father and mother told investigators that they knew an unsecured gun was in their basement, which is where the shooting happened while the entire family was home. According to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, the mother, father, grandmother and four children, all under the age of eight, were home at the time of the shooting, which occurred on Sept. Lacy and Herron were arraigned on Sept.

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Scoop News DeskPontiac · Published Friday, September 18, 2026 at 9:55 PM UTCUpdated Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 8:40 AM UTC

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Both suspects knew there was a loaded, unsecured firearm in a home with five children under the age of eight, and now a three-year-old child is dead,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a statement. “With great rights come equally great responsibilities— there must be accountability for the reckless behavior that led to (the shooting).” According to Bouchard, his office recovered a Taurus 9 mm handgun that was registered to the dad. 18, the prosecutor's office announced criminal charges against Lacy and the mom, Kasharae Herron, 31, who were both arraigned that same day on charges of failure to store a firearm resulting in death. “This tragedy was entirely preventable, and it is enraging to see another child lose his life so senselessly,” McDonald said in a statement announcing the charges. “Securing a firearm is simple and effective. 18 in 50th District Court, where bond was set for each defendant at $25,000 cash or surety. He returned later that evening and was taken into custody without incident.