Featured photo: The 3-year-old Skye McBride
By Tanya Terry
A 3-year-old in Flint accidentally shot herself in the face with an unsecured, loaded handgun on Valentine’s Day this year.
The bullet entered the girl’s right eye and exited through her skull, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. The 3-year-old, named Skye McBride, remained in critical condition as of Feb. 20. As a result of the tragic incident, officials said she would lose her right eye. As of Feb. 28, she was in stable condition, but according to the GoFundMe page set up by her aunt, she had not yet opened her eye.
The shooting occurred in the toddler’s home, on Cloverlawn Drive.
“The blood on the bedroom floor was directly next to a small, toddler-size folding chair,” Leyton stated.
In addition, Skye’s father, 44-year-old Michael Darktania Tolbert, was charged with multiple counts.
On a more positive note, Skye McBride’s eye surgery has been scheduled.
As of early morning Friday, March 1, $16,853 had been raised of $100,000 goal her aunt had when she set up the GoFundMe account. 679 people had donated to the cause of helping Skye and her family.
Michigan’s new safe-storage law just went into effect on Feb. 13.
Michigan residents are now required to keep firearms that are being stored or left unattended on premises unloaded and locked with a locking device, a locked box or a container if it is reasonably known that a minor will be or could likely be present.
LaDorothy Griggs, organizer of the GoFundMe fundraiser, gave the following update on Feb. 24, 2024: “Skye is improving she’s been weaned off two of her sedation meds and is responding by waving, thumbs up, and shaking her head. She still has yet to open her eye but we are so very proud of how strong she is and how much she has improved in such a short amount of time. Please continue to pray for Skye’s recovery and also her upcoming surgery that is one week away.”
To donate to the GoFundMe fundraiser for Skye McBride, visit the 3 year old survives gun shot to the head GoFundMe page at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/3-year-old-survives-gun-shot-to-the-head?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer.
To read the new secure storage law, Public Act 17 of 2023, click here: https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/publicact/htm/2023-PA-0017.htm
