A 65-year-old woman accused of violating Michigan’s new gun storage law in the death of her grandson pleaded no contest to another charge Tuesday and is unlikely to face jail time.
Braxton Dykstra, 5, was shot to death on April 1 when a 6-year-old cousin gained access to a loaded shotgun at Theresa Robart’s home in Newaygo County, western Michigan. Another child witnessed the shooting.
Robart’s husband, Karl Robart, was recently sentenced to more than three years in prison after pleading no contest to the storage law. The shotgun was his.
Firearms must be stored when children are present. The consequences of a violation depend on the details and whether someone is injured or killed.
Theresa Robart pleaded no contest to second-degree child abuse.
According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, at least 21 states have criminal laws related to keeping a gun out of the reach of children.
