Stepfather pleads no contest in Fresno child shooting death

[RamboLiberal]

A Fresno father charged with failing to store a gun properly entered a surprise plea Monday, in Fresno County Superior Court. Jarred Dubois pleaded "no contest" to first degree improper storage of a firearm. Police say last month Dubois' two year old son got a hold of a gun before shooting his six year old half-sister. Emily Lavender died at the Northeast Fresno home.

Jarred Dubois was not scheduled to enter a plea until this Wednesday. His attorney said he is anxious to move forward with the case so he pleaded Monday to help his family heal.

It has been almost a month since Fresno Police say Emily Lavender's two year old half-brother got a semi-automatic handgun from under a bed and shot his sister. Emily's stepfather, Jarred Dubois was charged after an investigation revealed the gun was not locked up. Dubois' attorney says his client has been dealing with both the emotion of the tragedy and the stress of criminal charges.

Dubois' Attorney, Mark Coleman said, "He made the decision to plead after reviewing all of the police reports and the evidence and he wanted to get it done to get this behind him and on the road to recovery with his family."

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/local&id=8217740

[slackmaster]

1. Even a strong "safe storage" law is no substitute for the safety device between your ears

:-(