Mother of boy who accidentally shot himself pleads guilty to child abuse resulting in death
The mother of a boy who accidentally shot and killed himself in Fort Collins earlier this year after police say she left the gun out in their home pleaded guilty to a criminal charge relating to the shooting Tuesday.
Rosinetta Mackall, 40, pleaded guilty to felony child abuse resulting in death Tuesday, and a misdemeanor charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement with the district attorney's office.
As part of the agreement, the charge of child abuse resulting in death indicates she acted in negligence, not recklessly, so she is not required to be sentenced to prison under state statute, according to the district attorney's office.
The plea agreement stipulated a 12-year sentence to Larimer County Community Corrections if Mackall is accepted. If she is not, the sentence is open to the court, and Mackall could be sentenced to probation or prison. Community corrections aims to divert people in the criminal justice system from jail or prison and into behavioral health treatment.
Police responded to a home in the 1200 block of Lincoln Avenue on April 10 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.
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Police say Mackall took the gun out earlier that day and left it "in an area frequently accessed by her children" and that Summers picked up the gun from that spot and shot himself accidentally hours later.
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 said.
Mackall's bond was also lowered from $100,000 to $10,000 cash or surety Monday, with the condition that if she posts bond, she wear a GPS monitor and not consume alcohol or illegal drugs, 8th Judicial District Judge Sarah Cure said.
Mackall's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9.
Reporter Molly Bohannon contributed to this article.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. Arrests and charges are merely accusations by law enforcement until, and unless, a suspect is convicted of a crime.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Mother of Fort Collins boy who accidentally shot himself pleads guilty
