Mother of boy who accidentally fatally shot himself sentenced to community corrections
The mother of a boy who accidentally shot and killed himself in Fort Collins earlier this year after she left the gun out in their home has been sentenced to community corrections.
Rosinetta Mackall, 40, pleaded guilty to felony child abuse resulting in death in December as part of a plea agreement. On Thursday, Mackall was sentenced to 12 years in Larimer County Community Corrections.
The plea agreement stipulated a 12-year community corrections sentence if she was accepted, which she was, Judge Sarah Cure said in court Thursday.
Police responded to a home in the 1200 block of Lincoln Avenue on April 10, 2022 to a report that a 6-year-old boy, later identified as Roy Summers, had shot himself. He was transported to the hospital but died from his injuries.
Police say Mackall took the gun out earlier that day and left it "in an area frequently accessed by her children." Summers picked up the gun from that spot and shot himself accidentally hours later, prosecutors previously stated.
Mackall's husband, Ronald Matthews, was not present for the shooting but was charged with lying to police about "his interactions with Mackall surrounding the incident" and tampering with evidence of their conversation, police said at the time of the shooting.
Matthews was sentenced to 30 months of probation in October after pleading guilty to tampering with physical evidence, a Class 6 felony. Matthews deleted text messages between himself and Mackall from the day the child died, prosecutors previously said.
Coloradoan subscribers can read more about Mackall's sentencing, including how mental health played a role in the sentencing decision, here.
Resources for people in crisis
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255, or call 988
SummitStone Crisis Stabilization Unit, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: summitstonehealth.org/services/
UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital and Medical Center of the Rockies crisis centers: uchealth.org/services/behavioral-health/
Crossroads Safehouse's 24/7 helplines, which are staffed by trained advocates: 970-482-3502 or 888-541-7233 (toll free)
Alternatives to Violence: 970-669-5150 or text the organization at 970-669-5157
In case of emergency, call 911.
Gun safety tips for parents and families
If you're a parent or guardian of a child and have firearms in your home, here are some tips on how to keep the children in your home safe.
Keep guns out of reach and sights of children. Store them in a locked safe or container, and hide lock combinations.
Store guns unloaded and store ammunition securely in a separate locked container.
When a gun is not stored, keep it in your possession and control at all times.
If a visitor has a gun, provide a secure place for them to store it while in your home.
While handling a firearm, always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, meaning pointed in a way so even if it accidentally goes off, it wouldn't injure someone.
Use a gun locking device that makes the firearm inoperable while not in use, in addition to keeping it in a locked cabinet or safe.
Make sure young people in your home are aware of and understand safety guidelines concerning firearms:
Seeing a gun in real life is different than seeing a gun on television, in a movie or video game — A gun in real life can be dangerous.
Teach children to tell an adult and not touch a gun if they see or find one.
For more information on the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office the Larimer County Juvenile Gun Safety Coalition, visit larimer.org/cja/juvenile-gun-safety.
Tips courtesy of the Larimer County Juvenile Gun Safety Coalition and the nonprofit Safe Kids Worldwide.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins mother of boy who accidentally shot himself sentenced
