States decide on gun law, presumably with a full understanding of all possible consequences. If parents of children with guns will be charged when a child uses the gun for murder, that should be included in the gun law. Every time a gang member under the age of 18 shoots someone, the parents should be charged as well. Make parents accountable 100% of the time, or not at all.
There is a bill that was introduced in MI this summer to hold parents responsible if they allow minors access to guns resulting in death but it is already illegal for a child to own a gun, so if a parent gives their child a 9 millimeter as an early Christmas gift, they are breaking the law.
There is also some precedent for parents being charged when their children kill with the parents gun
Parents of school shooters are rarely charged
Cevallos cited the 2018 case
People v. Head in which the Michigan Court of Appeals held that a man was responsible for involuntary manslaughter after he allowed his kids to have access to a gun. The defendant's 9-year-old son was fatally shot by his 10-year-old daughter in November 2015 after a shotgun was left in a "readily accessible location in his home."
He said the charges are a "good strategic choice only because as recently as 2018, a similar theory of liability was upheld."
"They have a clear path to a conviction, if they have the evidence," Cevallos said. "Does this herald a new era of holding parents responsible for homicides committed by their children? Maybe."
Guns used in school shootings often come from a family member's home. In 45 percent of incidents involving school shooters under the age of 18 where the gun source was identified, 74 percent of shooters obtained the gun or guns from their home or the homes of relatives or friends
Michigan Sen. Rosemary Bayer, whose district includes Oxford High School, introduced a bill in the state Legislature in June seeking to hold parents accountable if they fail to secure firearms. Under that
bill, if a minor obtains a gun and uses it to injure or kill others, the adult would face up to five years in prison.
"This kind of bill, specifically about making sure that children don't have access to your guns, reduces the number of times children use guns to shoot," Bayer told NBC News.
Mother of Indiana school shooter sentenced to probation
A Wayne County judge this past week accepted guilty pleas from Mary Ann York, 44, on four child neglect charges for not removing guns from her home after her son threatened to kill students and not making sure he received counseling and took medications for his mental health issues.
The judge sentenced York to 2½ years of probation that includes 60 hours of community service. Prosecutors dropped two other charges in the plea agreement.
York apologized during a court hearing, saying she wanted to work with children to spread mental health and suicide awareness, the Palladium-Item reported.