8-Year-Old Minnesota Boy Fatally Shot by Brother With Unsecured Rifle Among 34 Guns in Family’s Home, Prosecutors Say
ROSEAU COUNTY, MINNESOTA — An 8-year-old boy was fatally shot in the neck inside his Minnesota home after one of his older brothers accidentally discharged a loaded rifle that prosecutors say was improperly stored among 34 firearms scattered throughout the family’s house.
Now, the boy’s parents — Theodore Stewart, 42, and Danielle Stewart, 39 — are facing gross misdemeanor charges of negligent storage of firearms following the September 4 tragedy that claimed the life of McGregor Stewart.
Accidental Shooting Inside the Family’s Home
According to court records reviewed by the Wadena Pioneer Journal, the shooting occurred after one of McGregor’s brothers picked up a .22 caliber rifle, placed it on a bed, and it accidentally discharged, striking the 8-year-old in the neck.
The child’s sibling told investigators he didn’t know the weapon was loaded and never checked the chamber before handling it.
McGregor’s mother, Danielle, was outside the house when the gun fired. She rushed back in and accompanied her son to the hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead from his injuries. His father, Theodore, was reportedly at work at the time of the shooting.
34 Firearms Found — Only One Secured
Police later executed a search warrant on the family’s rural home and discovered a shocking arsenal of weapons:
- 34 firearms total, including rifles, handguns, and shotguns
- 14 guns found in the parents’ bedroom — “many loaded,” police said
- 13 more discovered in a nearby closet
- 7 additional firearms stored near the front door
Investigators wrote that “all but one firearm was unsecured and in areas of the home easily accessible to the children.”
“This tragedy was entirely preventable,” one investigator said in the report. “The children had direct access to loaded weapons without any safety measures in place.”
Parents Charged, Other Children Taken Into Custody
The Stewarts have four surviving children, ages 10 to 14, who were placed in protective custody immediately after the incident. That order was lifted about a month later, according to court records.
The parents were charged by summons on September 30 and were not taken into custody. Each faces one count of negligent firearm storage, a gross misdemeanor under Minnesota law.
Both are scheduled to appear in Roseau County Court on November 3.
Wider Problem of Unsecured Firearms
The case echoes a troubling national trend in accidental child shootings linked to unsecured household guns. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, more than 400 unintentional shootings by children occur in the U.S. each year — often with devastating outcomes.
Minnesota law requires firearms to be stored safely to prevent access by minors, but prosecutors say the Stewarts’ handling of their weapons showed “gross disregard” for that responsibility.
Do you think gun owners should face tougher penalties when children access unsecured weapons? Share your thoughts and follow the latest safety updates at ChicagoMusicGuide.com.