North Manchester Parents Charged After 4-Year-Old Mistakes Gun for Flashlight, Dies of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound

International Business Times

18-06-2025

Two North Manchester parents are facing a felony neglect charges after their 4-year-old son died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Mikayla Stanley, 25, and her husband, 26-year-old Nathan Stanley, were formally charged Tuesday with neglect resulting in death after their son died on May 30. They have both been arrested and booked into the Wabash County Jail.
Child Picked Up the Gun After Mistaking it for a Flashlight
A female family member was watching the couple's two young boys the day the 4-year-old died, court records show. The woman said she and the boys were in the Stanleys' bedroom when the gun went off.
She was about to change the younger boy's diaper while the 4-year-old, identified as Charles "Alan" Stanley, played with items on a bedside table, according to court documents. The woman said she heard him say "Oh, a flashlight," and turned to see what he had – that's when she heard a gunshot.
Life-saving measures were attempted, but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy showed he died from a gunshot wound to the torso. His death was ruled a homicide.
Child's Mother Told Police Her Husband was Always Leaving His Guns Out
Police say the parents arrived back at the home at the same time, with Mikayla Stanley asking police if it had something to do with her husband's guns, adding that he was "always leaving them out," court records show.
Nathan Stanley allegedly told police he believed he had three handguns, a shotgun and possibly a .22 rifle in his bedroom, all outside of a safe, court documents say.
He told police he took several guns, including the Canik 9mm believed to have killed his son, shooting five days before the 4-year-old died, adding that he did not secure them back in their cases afterward. The father told police he had a safety plan with the Department of Child Services for guns.
Mikayla Stanley told police she would periodically move her husband's guns when she saw them out and that she was "always getting onto Nathan about locking his guns up," court records show. She said he would often leave guns on the kitchen counter as well. The Stanleys each face a potential 40-year sentence.