Feds: Lansing mother pleads guilty in death of toddler

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A 26-year-old Lansing mother has entered a guilty plea in federal court in charges related to the death of her 2-year-old child, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.

Emma Huver entered a guilty plea on one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. As part of the deal, she was required to admit “she had a purple 9-millimeter Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol in her car on October 24, 2023,” reports the office in a news release.

On Sept. 16, Huver is expected to face sentencing.

Huver was one of three charged in the death of 2-year-old King Muhammad on Oct. 24, 2023. Authorities say the toddler got ahold of a gun and shot himself while sitting in a car at a gas station in Lansing.

Also charged are Avis Coward, 44, and Gina Schieberl, 27, the attorney’s office says. Both were charged with conspiracy to tamper with evidence and evidence tampering. Coward was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says security camera footage caught the accidental shooting and aftermath.

The office alleges Schieberl and Coward worked together to hide and destroy evidence of the shooting, including weapons and the car itself. Officials say the car was found burned in a field.

“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 in a statement. “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.”

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