In the summer of 2017, a tragic incident unfolded in Clinton Township, Michigan, leading to the death of three-year-old Cameron Dillard. On June 20th, the young boy was with his mother at the Newport Arms Apartment Complex when he came across a handgun lying in the grass. In a devastating turn of events, Cameron picked up the weapon and accidentally shot himself in the chest.
His mother rushed him to a nearby hospital, but the injury proved fatal.
The investigation into Cameron's death quickly led police to a 29-year-old Mt. Clemens man named Lamont Odell Johnson. It was determined that the handgun belonged to Johnson, who was known to frequent the apartment complex and was on parole for a prior weapons charge at the time. Authorities believe the gun fell out of his pocket. Johnson was located and arrested in Detroit the same day by the FBI Macomb County Violent Crimes Task Force.
Initially facing a charge of second-degree murder, Lamont Odell Johnson was ultimately convicted of involuntary manslaughter and a series of gun-related crimes. During his sentencing, Johnson expressed remorse for his actions. The victim's family, however, asked for the maximum possible sentence. In the end, the judge sentenced Johnson to a term of 17 to 50 years in prison for his role in the unintentional, yet fatal, shooting of young Cameron Dillard.
