Boyfriend charged with manslaughter after Michigan toddler shoots self

A Michigan man is facing a manslaughter charge after police said his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son found a gun and fatally shot himself.

Markus Nevills Jr., 22, was arrested and booked into the Kent County jail over the weekend in connection to the May 19 shooting at an apartment complex in Kentwood, a city about nine miles south of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Kentwood Police Department identified the toddler who died as Kiaire McCoy.

According to a press release from police, officers responded to a home in the complex for a report of a child who had been shot. The child was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries. 

‘Grossly negligent’

A preliminary investigation by police found the gun was in a couch inside the apartment.

According to a court filing, police said Nevills told them he “zoned out” while high on marijuana and was scrolling through his phone when the shooting occurred.

During a hearing Monday, Nevills appeared in court and was formally charged with involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors said he was grossly negligent.