Michigan man charged after four-year-old girl fatally shoots herself

A 22-year-old man in Michigan has been charged with multiple felonies after a four-year-old girl tragically turned a gun on herself.

Emergency services were called to a property in Lansing on Wednesday, where they discovered the child with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Despite the desperate efforts of first responders to resuscitate her, the little girl was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators revealed that the firearm had been stored improperly, allowing the young child to find and handle it.

Maliki Pendergrass was subsequently arrested and faces several serious charges, including a safe storage violation resulting in death and possession of a weapon by a prohibited person.

Pendergrass, who has a previous conviction for armed robbery, was not legally allowed to own a gun. While his exact relationship to the child remains unclear, he is being held on a $1 million bond.

Ingham County Prosecutor John J. Dewane expressed the profound preventability of the loss, stating: "This child’s death was completely preventable and would not have occurred had the firearm been safely stored as required by Michigan law, using a gun lock or gun safe."

He added, "One life lost is one too many, and we must do everything in our power to protect our children from preventable tragedies like this."

This devastating incident serves as a harrowing reminder of the lethal consequences of failing to secure firearms. Pendergrass is due back in court on 6 February as the community mourns a life cut short.