A sense of sorrow enveloped an east-side Detroit home on December 29, 2014, when 10-year-old Tony Campbell tragically lost his life in an accidental shooting. The young male was at his home on Roxbury Street with his older brother and cousins at the time of the incident. The children had been left in the care of his mother's 34-year-old boyfriend, Clifton Shortie Jr., while she was at work.
At some point during the evening, Shortie left the residence, leaving the children unsupervised.
It was during his absence that a loaded shotgun, which had been left unsecured in the basement, was found by the children. Tony was accidentally shot in the face with the weapon. Two police officers arrived at the scene and rushed him to a nearby hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal.
The investigation that followed focused on the negligence of Clifton Shortie Jr. in leaving a loaded firearm accessible to the children. Although it was not clear who was holding the gun at the moment it discharged, authorities charged Shortie, a convicted felon, with involuntary manslaughter, child abuse for failing to secure a loaded weapon, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Following his arrest, Shortie was arraigned and his bond was set at $75,000. He later entered into a plea deal, pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter and felony firearms charges. In exchange for his plea, the other charges were dismissed. A judge sentenced him to a minimum of three years and a maximum of fifteen years for the manslaughter charge, to be served consecutively with a two-year sentence for the weapons charge. During the sentencing, the judge remarked on Shortie's reckless and negligent actions that directly led to the untimely death of a young boy with a promising future.
