A five-year-old boy was shot dead by his cousin, aged six, who found his grandfather’s shotgun he used to kill critters.
Braxton Marvin Scott Dykstra was at his maternal grandparents’ home in Garfield Township, Michigan, on April 1, watching TV with his sister when the gun went off.
His heartbroken family have since celebrated his life with a memorial which included the victim’s face printed on cupcakes.
The six-year-old relative had found the pump-action 12 gauge Remington shotgun their grandpa used to kill critters.
Braxton’s sister got up to tell an adult, but ‘didn’t make it out the door,’ before it was was fired.
Five-year-old Braxton Dykstra (pictured) was shot dead by his cousin in Garfield Township, Michigan
Cupcakes adorned with tiny cut-outs of Braxton’s face were served at the memorial where heartbroken family members gathered to celebrate the young boy’s life
Police were called to the Newaygo County home in Michigan about 3:25pm on April 1
Police were called to the home near West 68th Street and Bingham Avenue in Newaygo County about 3:25pm, according to a report.
A girl who was interviewed at the scene told police: ‘[Name redacted] had a gun and I told him to put it down. He accidentally pulled the trigger on [name redacted].’
She claimed the child had been making jokes about shooting the child, but accidentally discharged the shotgun as he was putting it down.
According to court documents, a man at the scene, whose name was not released, said the gun was not loaded and other guns in the home were locked away.
He told a trooper: ‘I didn’t even know where he got that bullet from.’
Cops were advised the gun was last used two months ago to shoot a raccoon on the property which required just one shell. He believed it had been used and then the gun was returned to the corner with the safety on.
Domynic Dykstra, Braxton’s devastated father, is now demanding justice for his young son – and expects charges to be filled, with the incident turning one side of the family against the other.
He wants not only the grandparents to be held accountable, but the six-year-old’s mother.
‘It’s obviously a parent’s worst nightmare’, he told 13 On Your Side. ‘I’m hoping that we can actually get justice for my son.’
Braxton was known to enjoy making other people laugh, including his sister who is only just beginning to understand he won’t be coming back to play
Braxton’s dad is now sharing a message about gun safety, encouraging anyone with a firearm to ensure it is locked away in a safe to avoid the pain his family is facing
He believes the tragedy could have been avoided if proper gun safety protocol was being followed.
‘As of right now, it only sounds like grandpa and grandma are gonna get [charged],’ he told the outlet.
He says his son was ‘a little jokester’ who enjoyed running around making people laugh, including his two sisters and a baby brother.
‘My daughter, it just hit her last night that my son will never be back,’ he said.
‘She understood, he would never be back, but last night, I held her tight because she told me she couldn’t sleep without her «bubby».’
Domynic is now on a mission to share Braxton’s story and encourage gun owners to ensure their weapons are locked away to avoid the same heartache the family are now enduring.
‘If you have a safe, obviously, that’s the ideal thing, throw it in a safe and call it a day,’ he said.
‘My main goal right now is to obviously stop this from happening again.
‘I have gone through so much pain that I don’t want anybody else to go through.’
Gun owners in Michigan are required to keep guns in a locked box should minors be expected on a property, according to the safe storage law which came into effect on February 13
Braxton leaves behind two sisters and a baby brother, as well as doting parents Domynic and Paige
With Braxton now in his heart, Domynic says he wants to get his instructor license to teach youth about gun safety
Domynic is expecting the Newaygo County Prosecutor’s Office to press charges as soon as next week.
Under the safe storage law implemented in the state on February 13, gun owners are required to store weapons in a locked box if there is any expectation a minor will be on the property.
A celebration of life saw a motorcade travel through the town and a luncheon held at Newyago High School, with much of the community in attendance.
The Newaygo County Prosecutor’s Office says the case is still under review.
