I was extremely concerned to see the headline on the front page of the April 1, 2025 Oakland Press’ about the Jacob and Jessie Gean cases: “Couple gets time served in son’s death.”

Thankfully, the tragic part of that headline is not true: their son did not die. That’s not a small error. The headline also mistakenly characterized their sentence. “Time served” is an unlikely sentence if a child had died.

As Oakland County Prosecutor, I have made preventing gun violence a priority in my office and a personal mission. Michigan’s adoption of a Safe Storage law was one significant step toward that goal, and enforcing that law is important, in large part because it raises public awareness. Public awareness about gun violence and safe storage can save lives.

I want to provide the facts and explain why cases like this are so important.

The Geans’ failure to safely store a loaded handgun violated Michigan’s Safe Storage Law. Jessie Gean’s 9-year-old son shot himself in the hand with the weapon. Thankfully, he did not die, and the young man recovered from his injury. We should all be grateful because this situation could have been much worse. My office charged the Geanses with violating the Safe Storage law, and they took responsibility by pleading no contest, and by expressing remorse for what happened to their son.

The Geans were sentenced to two years’ probation. During that time, they will be required to maintain employment and prevented from owning guns or other deadly weapons. They will also be made to comply with other conditions imposed by the Family Court.

This outcome is consistent with the sentencing guidelines for this crime. It ensures they receive guidance and oversight necessary so that Jessie Gean’s son will live in a safe environment. It’s an appropriate outcome.

An important goal of Michigan’s new Safe Storage law is to protect kids from preventable gun accidents. This case is important because it is a reminder to all of us: safely securing a firearm only takes a few moments. Failure to do so can have life-changing consequences.

I encourage the media to cover these cases and get the word out, but accuracy is essential to ensuring public faith and confidence in our laws and our criminal justice system.