MACON, Ga. — A family in Paulding County mourns the loss of 6-year-old Millie Drew Kelly after her 4-year-old brother accidentally shot her in the head with their mother's gun.
Officers say Millie and her little brother were in their mother's car when they found the loaded gun in the glove compartment. The mom stepped outside the car to see why it wouldn't start before it happened.
At this point, no charges are expected against the mother, but this case has started a conversation about the push for tighter gun safety laws. 13WMAZ set out to verify if parents could be charged at all for not securing their guns. Our sources are Macon-Bibb District Attorney David Cooke and the Georgia law.
"There's discretion that's left to the officers and the prosecutor about whether or not to bring charges. They may think the parent has already suffered enough," said Cooke.
So we verified, parents can face charges depending on the case. Cooke says a parent could face up to 10 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter if a child dies, or up to 30 years in prison for second degree murder even if they weren't behind the trigger.
"Generally speaking, our office is going to bring those charges because we believe we should do everything we can to protect those who can't protect themselves," said Cooke.
Hamp Dowling at Eagle Gun Range says you can secure a gun in a car using a cable and a lock box. He says don't hide your gun in a car's arm rest, in the glove compartment, or in the side door where there's easy access.
You can also buy a lock box with a keypad on it. If a child were to put in the wrong combination three times, it would blink red and stay locked for 20 minutes. If you put in the correct combination, you are able to get inside. Another option is a barrel lock that costs $10 on average.
Dowling says to take the extra step to secure the gun because if you can hide it, a child can find it.
The Giffords Law Center says about 4.6 million minors across the nation live in homes with at least one loaded, unlocked firearm. In Georgia it is a felony to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly provide a handgun to a child under 18.