InvestigateTV+: Seeking safer solutions to gun storage in the home
(InvestigateTV) — A devastating Valentine’s Day shooting in 2024 left 3-year-old Skye McCord clinging to life after she found a loaded revolver in her father’s bedroom and accidentally shot herself.
The incident, which occurred just one day after Michigan’s new safe storage law took effect, underscores what experts call one of the most preventable forms of gun violence.
In this episode of InvestigateTV+, we examine:
- Gun safety crisis: Families devastated by preventable shootings advocate for secure firearm storage after children find unsecured weapons
- Youth voices: Teens affected by gun violence express their trauma and solutions through powerful essay contests
- School meal evolution: Georgia district transforms cafeteria offerings with culturally diverse, farm-fresh options
- Artisan craftsmanship: Vermont woodworker creates unique wooden hats, turning his passion into wearable art
Preventable tragedies spark many to seek safer gun storage solutions
Michigan prosecutors say, in February 2024, a three-year-old girl named Skye found a loaded weapon in her father’s home and pulled the trigger, with the bullet piercing her right eye and exiting through her skull.
Doctors warned her family to prepare for the worst, uncertain if she would emerge from her coma.
“Our life has changed completely due to this incident,” said Dorothy Griggs, Skye’s aunt.
According to Everytown, a firearm safety advocacy group, nearly every day, someone is shot in the U.S. because a child has accidentally fired a gun, with children under six being the most likely victims.
Francine Strang knows this pain intimately. In March 2022, she lost her 12-year-old grandson, LaFrance, when his 10-year-old brother found a loaded gun at a family member’s house.
“Not only was there not a gun lock, but the gun was found just laying on the bed and my grandson thought it was a toy,” Strang said.
Following her grandson’s death, Strang founded Long Live LaFrance, an organization that provides gun locks and safety education to families.
Lieutenant Justin Nichols with the Saint Louis County, Missouri Police Department emphasizes the importance of proper gun education and secure storage.
“Any time you bring a firearm in a home, you have to address that with your children,” Nichols said. “It changes the dynamics of your home.
Skye’s father, Michael Tolbert, became the first person charged under Michigan’s safe storage law. The measure requires gun owners to keep weapons safely stored when they know a child will be present. More than two dozen states and Washington, D.C., have adopted similar secure storage or child access prevention laws.
Fighting Violence Through Words: Essay contest inspires solutions to community violence
Young people across the country are using writing to process their experiences with gun violence and advocate for change. The Mikey 23 Foundation, named for Michael McKissick’s son, who was gunned down at age 23, sponsors an annual essay contest that gives teens a platform to share their stories.
Zachary Barker, the 2024 contest winner, wrote about experiencing both a swatting incident at his high school and the real Michigan State University shooting that left three dead and five injured.
“Violence made me anxious, vulnerable and powerless,” Barker wrote. “But it also made me angry. And someone has to make it stop.”
Isaiah Thomas won the 2025 contest with an essay about his own experiences with family violence and his determination to pursue law enforcement.
“These experiences, however, do not define me,” Thomas wrote. “Instead, it has fueled my determination to pursue law enforcement, a career where I can make a direct change.”
How this school is elevating the dining and cultural experience for students
At Marietta High School in Georgia, district chef David Garcia is revolutionizing school nutrition by incorporating culturally diverse foods that reflect the district’s majority-minority student population.
The district received $40,000 in funding to source fresh foods from minority-owned farms across Georgia, allowing Garcia to expand beyond traditional cafeteria fare to include items like collard greens and homemade pastry cream.
“We are a district that has a majority minority population,” said Cindy Culver, who runs the district’s nutrition program.
Despite strict USDA standards requiring balanced components of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and milk, along with limits on calories and fats, Garcia proves that healthy school meals can still offer flavor and variety.
The Mad Hatter of Manchester: 81-year-old craftsman shares story of war, wrestling & wearable art
In Manchester, Vermont, Johannes Michelson has spent 35 years perfecting the art of wooden hat making. The 81-year-old craftsman, who has worn many hats throughout his life—Army sergeant, carpenter, and Manchester’s arm wrestling champion for nine years—now creates wearable art that sells for around $2,000 per piece.
Michelson, who claims to be the first wood turner in the U.S. to make wooden hats, has created nearly 2,000 pieces over three decades. He sets his lathe to exactly 777 rotations per minute “just because it’s a lucky number.”
“Am I the best in the world? Yeah, turning hats. Yeah, no question,” Michelson said with characteristic confidence.
Despite a vision from a Hindu man who told him he would die at 81, Michelson has no plans to retire.
“I’m shooting for 99,” he said.
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