Mykael Robertson told police he was “unaware” that his guns were loaded when his daughter shot herself
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- A 10-year-old girl fatally shot herself in the head with a gun belonging to her father
- Mykael Robertson has been charged with six counts of neglect in connection with daughter Malaysia Robertson’s death
- The man told police that his daughter has autism and he thought she did not know where he kept his guns
A 10-year-old girl with autism fatally shot herself, and her father has been charged in connection with her death.
Mykael Robertson was arrested and charged with six felony counts of neglect of a dependent after his daughter Malaysia Robertson died of a gunshot wound to the head at their home in Gary, Ind., on Wednesday, July 15, according to court records viewed by PEOPLE.
Police responded to the Robertsons’ home in the afternoon, when they found a female juvenile — later identified as Malaysia — suffering from a gunshot wound, the Gary Police Department (GPD) said in a statement. The child was pronounced deceased at the scene despite life-saving efforts, according to authorities.
Investigators determined that the gunshot wound was tied to an apparent accident involving one of Malaysia’s father’s guns, per CBS News and The Chicago Tribune.
A medical examiner told police that the child’s wound “was self-inflicted, with no other signs of trauma and with a close-range gunshot wound to the head,” the Tribune reported, citing an affidavit.
Mykael, 29, told police that he and his three kids, including Malaysia, had been sleeping when he woke up to find that the 10-year-old was not in her bed anymore, according to CBS News and the Tribune.
After he began calling out for her, the father then found Malaysia in a bedroom and began performing chest compressions, per the outlets.
The other two children, ages 6 and 7, woke up after hearing the gunshot, but they suffered no injuries, according to CBS News.
Credit: Alamy
Malaysia was found between a dresser and bed with a Springfield XD handgun at her feet, according to the Tribune, which cited court records.
Investigators also found spent casings lodged in the slide portion of the gun — typical of instances in which young children fire guns, the outlet reported.
Mykael told police he keeps two handguns, including the Springfield XD, in the top dresser drawer of his bedroom, but typically keeps them unloaded. He also said he was “unaware” that they were loaded at the time of the shooting incident, according to CBS News and the Tribune.
The Indiana father said that his daughter was autistic and he did not believe that she knew where the firearms were located or how to operate them.
Malaysia’s mother also confirmed that the 10-year-old was autistic, and she told police that Mykael “would never hurt the children,” according to the Tribune.
There were no gun safes or locks found during a search of the home, per the outlet.
Mykael has been charged with neglect of a dependent causing catastrophic injury, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury and neglect of a dependent resulting in bodily injury, along with three charges of neglect of a dependent — defendant places dependent in a situation that endangers the dependent, according to court records.
He bonded out of jail on Friday, July 17, and Mykael is expected to next appear in court on Friday, July 31. It is not clear whether he has obtained legal representation to comment on his behalf.
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The investigation, led by the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force, is ongoing. The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, July 18.
In a statement shared in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon Sr. described the situation as a “heartbreaking tragedy that has claimed the life of a young child.”
“Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the victim’s family and everyone affected by this unimaginable loss,” added Cannon Sr.
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