Lansing Mom’s Guilty Plea in 2-Year-Old’s Fatal Shooting

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Emma Huver, 26, of Lansing, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. As part of her plea, Huver admitted that she had a purple 9-milimeter Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol in her car on October 24, 2023. She had previously been convicted of a felony drug offense in 2020. Sentencing is scheduled for September 16, 2024.

“Today’s guilty plea is one step forward in our effort to achieve a measure of justice for this tragic loss of life,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This case magnifies one of the grimmest statistics we live with in America today: that gun violence is now the #1 cause of death for our youngest, ages 0-19. We cannot accept this ‘new normal,’ but must do everything we can to prevent these deaths.”

Two other Lansing residents are also charged in the indictment. Avis Coward, 44, and Gina Schieberl, 27, are charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence and tampering with evidence. Coward is also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

As alleged, on October 24, 2023, Coward got out of a car at a Lansing gas station and went inside, leaving a two-year-old child and the child’s mother, Huver, in the car. Surveillance video showed that a minute later a bullet hole appeared in the car window. Huver got out of the car holding her child, who had blood on his face from a gunshot wound. As she did so, Coward’s gun fell out of the car. Huver handed the child to Coward, who then passed the child to a third person who took the victim into the gas station and attempted to control the bleeding until medical personnel arrived. Coward returned to the car, picked up the gun off the ground, and put it back in the car. The surveillance video also showed Coward use his hand to break out the front passenger window, which had the bullet hole. Coward then drove away. The child later died from his injuries.

“This is yet another great example of how partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, and all who were involved, strive to bring justice and closure to those affected by senseless violence,” said Lansing Police Chief Ellery Sosebee.

Lansing mother Emma Huver’s guilty plea is another stark reminder of the devastating consequences of having a gun in the wrong hands, especially when it comes to the safety of our children. As we continue to grapple with the nation’s gun violence epidemic, it is imperative that we work together to hold individuals accountable for their actions and take proactive steps to prevent these tragedies from occurring in the first place.