Detroit Mom Charged in Accidental Shooting that Left Her Six-Year-Old Daughter Dead

Police have charged a suspect in the accidental shooting of a six-year-old on 2 March at a Detroit car park.

Tonya Charisse-Annice Johnson, 41, has been charged with three counts of second-degree child abuse, four counts of felony firearm, and a firearms safe storage violation in relation to the death of her six-year-old daughter on 2 March. Johnson allegedly left her daughter and four other children with an unsecured gun inside her van.

'It is further alleged that the defendant's 11-year-old son found an unsecured handgun in the vehicle and fired it, striking the six-year-old victim in the head, fatally wounding her,' the Detroit Police Department stated in a Facebook post.

The update offers some clarity as to what transpired inside the vehicle shortly after Johnson left it to get food at a restaurant.

Child Shot Dead in Preventable Accident

At about 12:06pm on 2 March, Detroit police responded to a reported shooting at a restaurant in the 9700 block of Harper Avenue. 'Upon their arrival, officers observed the child suffering from a gunshot wound to the head,' per the statement.

'Medics arrived on the scene and transported to the child to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.' Neither the boy nor the girl involved in the shooting were identified.

'We have safe storage for a reason,' First Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald told WXYZ 13 News. 'Secure your weapons. A six-year-old girl that will no longer go to school. She can't grow up to be a Detroit police officer or work for any of the media outlets. It is really really sad but it's preventable.'

Defendant Has More Unsecured Firearms at Home

Prosecutors also found unsecured weapons at Johnson's residence, according to a CBS News report. Johnson could face up to ten years in prison if convicted guilty in the six-year-old's death, according to the outlet.

'The alleged facts of this case are among the worst child safe storage cases that we have seen,' Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy stated. 'This will affect these children forever. The loss of the life of one of their siblings in a closed compartment of the defendant's car cannot be unseen.'

Police Urge Importance of Gun Safety for Owners

Fitzgerald said the accidental shooting is the third of its kind that they have responded to in the past two weeks. Tamara Smith, Cease Fire Detroit program manager, held owners responsible for the proper gun storage.

'Gun safety is extremely important so even if you have an unsecured weapon, to know I better go secure it,' she said. 'My heart goes out to the mom. This is not an intentional act. No one I'm sure was expecting anything like this but the most important part is gun safety.'

As part of new gun safety measures enforced in 2024, Michigan also required owners to ensure unattended firearms are locked, unloaded, or kept in a locked box when a minor is present.

Police have yet to determine how the child found the gun or where it was stored in the car before the accident.