Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The mother of a toddler who died as a result of an alleged accidental shooting in the City of Howell has been bound over for trial.

41-year-old Tonya Lacey is charged with a single felony count of 2nd degree child abuse. She appeared in 53rd District Court in Howell for a probable cause conference on Wednesday. Lacey’s case was bound over for trial, and her arraignment in Circuit Court was also waived. Future court dates are pending.

Lacey is free on a $10,000 personal bond and has been ordered to not possess or purchase a firearm or other dangerous weapon while the case proceeds.

The charge was filed against the mother of the 2-year-old child for allegedly allowing the toddler to gain access to an unsecured firearm that resulted in the accidental shooting on June 11th in the family’s home on Oak Squire Lane, just north of M-59 in the Rolling Oaks subdivision. Despite being rushed to a hospital, the child was pronounced dead. The child’s father is a member of the Dearborn Police Department.

Howell Police earlier said “This was a tragic accident caused by an adult failing to properly secure a firearm that sadly made its way into the hands of a curious 2-year-old child”.

Lacey was home alone with the child. Police said the father of the child was not present when the incident occurred, and the firearm that was involved was not registered or connected to him.