Maine stepfather sentenced to eight years after 4-year-old’s fatal shooting

A four-year-old boy in Maine found a loaded handgun in a bag at home and fatally shot himself in May 2025.

His stepfather, Robert McCoy, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and endangering a child.

A judge sentenced him to eight years in prison, followed by six years of probation.

The case shows why guns must be kept secured and out of children’s reach.