Man shoots 2-year-old son in the face with shotgun during heated argument with boy's mother
A two-year-old boy in Michigan is currently in critical condition after his own father allegedly shot him in the face with a shotgun while he was in the middle of an argument with the child's mother. Prosecutors said that 32-year-old Michael Glance from Blackman Township was charged with three counts of assault with intent to murder and felony firearms. He is currently being held by authorities on a $10 million bond.
Mlive.com reported that Glance appeared to be indifferent during his arraignment to which he appeared through video on April 18. He is yet to enter a plea. According to PEOPLE, Jackson County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kati Rezmierski said: "For whatever reason, Mr. Glance decided to take his anger out on his two-year-old child that day."
The shooting took place on April 16 when a heated argument took place between Glance and the child's mother, Nicole McCarthy, at Glance's home. In the middle of an argument, Glance allegedly held a pistol to his son's head but it didn't fire when he pulled the trigger. McCarthy tried to get their child away from Glance and she was able to grab the boy and flee to her car.
NBC affiliate WILX10 reported that while she was strapping the boy into his car seat, Glance allegedly came out of the house with a shotgun. Rezmierski said in the court: "He pointed it at him and blew off half of his face." The news outlet also added that the child was shot in the arm as well. It was also reported that Glance allegedly chased McCarthy and tried to fire the jammed pistol at her before fleeing from the scene.
Authorities were then able to quickly track him down and arrest him. The injured boy was immediately rushed to a hospital and is currently listed in critical but stable condition. The toddler, who had celebrated his second birthday just the weekend before the attack, went through five surgeries in 24 hours to repair his face, hand, arm, and lungs.
A GoFundMe page that was set up to help the family cover for his medical expenses also added that the boy has titanium placed in his jaw and the surgeons have so far worked to reconstruct his mouth, gums, and nose. The page said: "Ryker now has over 100 stitches in his face post-surgery and is still listed in critical care with a ventilator and feeding tube installed in his stomach. He has a long road of recovery ahead with more surgeries to come."
Doug McCarthy, the boy's grandfather, said that his daughter was at the hospital with her son ever since the incident. He told Mlive.com: "Her children are her life. I’m still in shock but thankful for all the support we’re getting. I never thought there could be this many people who would want to help someone they never met."