Minnesota Father Imprisoned After Toddler Fatally Shoots Friend

Brooklyn Park, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Minnesota man has been sentenced to prison for leaving a loaded handgun accessible to his young child.

The criminal complaint against 23-year-old Marlon Jermaine White alleges the 2-year-old child was handling the firearm when it discharged and the bullet struck another man, which resulted in a fatal injury. The deadly incident occurred in Brooklyn Park on September 28, 2022.

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The court document states that White had placed the gun under the couch while visiting a friend's home. White, his son, the victim, and another friend were watching movies and the adults were smoking marijuana when White began a "Facetime" call on his cell phone with another friend. The charges say that's when White heard a gunshot.

The court document says Brooklyn Park police officers responded to a 911 call from a man at the residence who stated that his friend had been shot. When they arrived, they found the victim unresponsive in the front entryway of the house with a large amount of blood beneath him. Lifesaving measures were attempted, but the man later died from the gunshot wound.

White was later charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter. In October, the Brooklyn Park man entered into a plea agreement and admitted to one of the charges.

He was sentenced this week to 45 months in prison. With credit for good behavior, he could be eligible for release in the summer of 2027.

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