On November 9, 2015, 9-year-old Daylen Makhai Head died in a Detroit home from a gunshot wound to the head. He was in his father’s west-side house when the shooting occurred. Early reports suggested Daylen had found an unsecured, loaded shotgun and accidentally shot himself, prompting an investigation and the arrest of his father.

Prosecutors charged 45-year-old Christopher Head with second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child abuse, and weapons offenses, alleging he was a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and had negligently left a loaded shotgun accessible to his children. The case took a turn when Daylen’s 10-year-old sister testified that she had accidentally fired the weapon while they were playing, and she was granted immunity for that testimony.

At trial Christopher Head was acquitted of second-degree murder but convicted of involuntary manslaughter, second-degree child abuse, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possession of a short-barreled shotgun. As a fourth-offense habitual offender with a substantial prior record, he was sentenced to 25 to 50 years for involuntary manslaughter, with concurrent terms on the other counts. Does anyone have memories of Daylen or information about the household that could shed light on what happened that day?