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Kentwood man who was 'zoned out' on marijuana when 2-year-old shot himself headed to trial

Markus Nevills Jr., 22, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of 2-year-old Kiaire McCoy.

KENTWOOD, Mich. — A Kentwood man who said he was "zoned out" on marijuana when a 2-year-old found his gun and shot himself is heading to trial.

Markus Nevills Jr., 22, is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of 2-year-old Kiaire McCoy.

The shooting took place last month when Kiaire found Nevills Jr.'s gun wedged in a couch cushion. Kiaire fired the gun once, killing himself.

Jikya Reddick, the mother of Kiaire, was in the home when he shot and killed himself.

Nevills Jr. admitted to police that he was "zoned out" on marijuana and scrolling on his phone at the time of the shooting, early court documents revealed.

During the preliminary examination on Monday, testimony from a detective alleged that Nevills Jr. set the gun on a couch so he could have Reddick scratch his back.

The detective also testified that Nevills Jr. said that if he was paying more attention, the shooting would not have occurred. Nevills Jr. also told detectives that marijuana usage and general carelessness played a factor, according to detective testimony.

The gun was purchased from Mr. Gun Dealer, according to the detective.

Reddick testified that she did not want the firearm in her home and was not aware of the location of the gun at the time of the shooting. She also revealed in the cross-examination that she was also using marijuana that evening.

Nevills Jr.'s bond has been reduced from $200,000 to $150,000.

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