A 52-year-old Clinton Township was charged Thursday with violating the state's safe storage law that resulted in her grandson finding a gun in her house and bringing the weapon to school without her knowldge.
Lisa Renee Christy was arraigned in 41B District Court in Clinton Township on one count of firearms safe storage violation, a misdemeanor punishable by 93 days in jail and a fine of up to $500, or both.
Authorities said her grandson came across the gun in her home in Clinton Township and allegedly brought it to Center Line High School, where the child and two others passed the handgun around earlier this month.
"The alleged reckless storage of this handgun by Ms. Christy allegedly enabled her grandson to possess a weapon that could have caused a terrible tragedy," Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a news release.
According to the release, the principal of Center Line High School contacted Center Line police on May 13 to inform them the three students had displayed the gun in the school. The school was placed on a lockdown and officers located the weapon in one student's possession.
The Center Line Police conducted a thorough investigation which led to a warrant request through the prosecutor's office to charge the three juveniles with several misdemeanor and felony offenses, prosecutors said in the release.
Following the incident, Center Line police then turned their attention to finding the owner of the gun.
Investigators said one of the juveniles is the grandson of Christy. He was invited to her house in Clinton Township here he found her handgun and ammunition in an unlocked room.
Police said the student took the weapon from Christy's house without her knowledge, and then eventually brought it to Center Line High School.
Christy has no prior record of criminal violations.
At her arraignment hearing, Magistrate Ryan Zemke set a $100,000 personal bond with the condition she can't possess firearms or any other weapons.
A pretrial is scheduled for June 3 by Zoom before 41B Clinton Township District Court Judge Jacob Michael Femminineo, Jr.
The promotion of safe firearm storage is a high priority for the prosecutor's office, according to the release. The office recently obtained a grant of about $52,000 from the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan that will pay for Macomb prosecutors to conduct a public awareness campaign throughout the county to promote safe firearm storage to prevent youth violence and suicide.
This program is expected to start later this year.
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