Canton Man Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter In Son's Death

CANTON, MI — A Canton man has been charged with involuntary murder in the deadly shooting of his 8-year-old son, Wayne County prosecutors said Friday morning.

Nicholas Bennett, 33, was arraigned Friday morning in 35th District Court in Plymouth on one count of involuntary murder. He is scheduled for a probable cause conference on Jan. 29 and preliminary examination in the case is slated for Feb. 5.

According to prosecutors, Bennett around 3:54 p.m. on Dec. 15 was working on his rifle and fatally shot his son, who was with him in the room. Canton Police were immediately called to the scene and the child was taken to a local hospital where he died, prosecutors said.

Related: 8-Year-Old Canton Boy Dies After Being Shot Tuesday

Police originally would not say whether the boy had been shot intentionally or accidentally. Police Chief Chad Baugh said in a statement at the time that he was asking the public to keep the family in their thoughts.

"At this time there is no danger to the public, and we ask that you respect the privacy of the family," he said at the time.