Why was Michael Tolbert arrested? Flint father whose 2-year-old daughter accidentally shot herself last week is charged with first-degree child abuse

On Wednesday, February 14, 44-year-old Flint, Michigan man, Michael Tolbert's 2-year-old daughter Skye McBride accidentally shot herself in the face. She was rushed to the Hurley Medical Center and remains in critical condition. Investigators found a loaded semi-automatic pistol and revolver next to a kid-sized folding chair. Both weapons were stored unsafely and improperly.

On Tuesday, February 20, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton announced that the Michigan man was being slapped with ten charges. The most prominent of those ten charges is the one count of first-degree child abuse, which could fetch him life in prison. He was also charged with the violation of Michigan's new safe storage of firearms law.

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Michael Tolbert hit with ten charges after 2-year-old daughter accidentally shoots herself

Last week on Valentine's Day, a harrowing incident occurred at 7:15 p.m. in the 6000 block of Cloverlawn Drive, Flint, Michigan, that altered the life of one 2-year-old girl forever. The child, Skye McBride, had shot herself in the head and was rushed to the Hurley Medical Center by her family. According to the child's GoFundMe page, she remains in the hospital in a "very critical" condition.

The page also explained that the incident occurred due to an unsecured firearm while she was in her father, Michael Tolbert's custody. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton stated on Tuesday that the bullet entered the child's right eye and exited through the back of her head. Hospital staff informed him that, at best, the child would lose her right eye.

After securing a warrant, the Flint Major Crimes Unit searched Michael Tolbert's house, upon which they found brain matter and blood near a kid-sized folding chair inside a bedroom. Next to the chair sat one revolver and a handgun; the handgun was fully loaded, while the revolver was missing a bullet. The ceiling of the room showcased one gunshot hole.

WNEM 5 reported that on Tuesday, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton slapped the 43-year-old Michael Tolbert with ten charges in total. The most severe of the charges was one count of first-degree child abuse. Tolbert can face up to life in prison for this charge.

Apart from that, Michael Tolbert was also hit with one count of violating the Michigan safe storage of firearms law, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, lying to a police officer during an investigation, and five counts of felony firearm.

The Michigan Safe Storage of Firearms law had only come into effect on February 13, one day before the accident. According to the law, if a minor comes in possession of an improperly stored firearm and causes injury to themselves or another individual, it leads to a felony charge carrying a fine of up to $5,000 or a maximum 5-year prison sentence or both.

Skye McBride GoFundMe page (Image via GoFundMe)

If the firearm causes a severe bodily impairment to another person or the minor, then the sentence gets increased up to 10 years, and the fine up to $7,500. If the firearm causes the death of another individual or the minor in possession of it, the sentence once again gets increased up to 15 years and the fine up to $10,000.

A GoFundMe organized for the injured Skye McBride by her aunt, LaDorothy Griggs, to help cover medical and living expenses amassed $2,847 of its $100,000 goal. The fundraiser detailed that Skye is her mom's only child and that she was set to start preschool next year.