KENTWOOD, Mich. — Beloved 2-year-old Kiaire McCoy got ahold of a loaded handgun last week and ultimately shot himself, Kentwood Police said.
His mother's ex-boyfriend Markus Nevills Jr., who was living with them at the time of the shooting, is now facing charges in the case. He was arraigned in court Monday.
According to the probable cause documents filed in the case, Nevills Jr. told detectives he had been sitting in the living room area of the home and had put his Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun between the couch cushion and the armrest.
He told detectives he had "zoned out" while high on marijuana and scrolling on his phone, court documents detail.
He admitted to sitting forward on the couch so that his back was to the gun.
Nevills Jr. told detectives he believes Kiaire crawled behind him on the couch and that is how he got access to the gun.
He admitted to not paying attention to where he was and admitted he was responsible for the death, court documents say.
Jikya Reddick, the mother of 2-year-old Kiaire McCoy, says her son was a happy kid who loved his older brother.
Kiaire was full of laughs and his mom said everyone instantly loved him.
"He could light up a room. He was a talker. Loved his mommy so much," Reddick said.
Funeral arrangements are in the works and the family is raising money through a GoFundMe.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
