Nationwide — Tonya Charisse-Annice, a 41-year-old African American mother from Detroit, Michigan, is facing multiple charges after leaving her five children alone in a car with an unsecured gun. During that time, her 11-year-old son found the weapon and fatally shot his 6-year-old sister.
Police reported the shooting occurred around 12:06 p.m. on March 2 at a local restaurant. Responders found the young girl with a gunshot wound and rushed her to the hospital, where she later died.
According to Local 12 News, authorities said the children, ranging in age from 2 to 11, were left unattended while Charisse-Annice went inside to pick up a food delivery. While inside the car, her oldest son discovered the handgun and fired, striking his younger sister in the head.
Charisse-Annice was charged with failing to secure a firearm around children, three counts of second-degree child abuse, and four counts of felony firearm. The Detroit Police Department stressed the danger of leaving children with access to a loaded gun.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Aniela Bosca described the emotional toll on the family, saying, “This is going to be life-long trauma this young man is going to suffer as a result of shooting his sister. Knowing that he killed her, the other children that were in the vehicle watching this happen, and this was negligible.”
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities continue reviewing the circumstances of the incident and urged caregivers to always store firearms safely to prevent similar accidents.