Milwaukee man whose 5-year-old nephew shot himself gets prison time

A Milwaukee man who pleaded guilty to child neglect after his 5-year-old nephew fatally shot himself with an unsecured gun is going to prison.

Bryan Jaensch, 59, was sentenced Friday to four years in prison and four years of extended supervision, online court records show. He pleaded guilty in August. 

Jaensch and Jose M. Gonzalez, the child's father, each were charged with neglecting a child with the consequence being death - as a party to a crime, a Class D Felony.

Elijo Gonzalez shot himself with the weapon Feb. 21 and didn't survive.

The incident occurred Feb. 21 at a home on the 900 block of South 29th Street.

Jaensch pleaded guilty in August. Jose Gonzalez was sentenced in October to six years in prison and four years of extended supervision.

How to safely store a gun

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, roughly a third of U.S. homes with children have guns. Even young toddlers are capable of finding unlocked guns and are strong enough to pull the trigger, the organization warns.

In homes with firearms, the likelihood of an accidental death by a gun is four times higher. The most effective way to prevent unintentional shootings is the absence of guns in homes.

But for those that do have them, the academy recommends guns be locked away and ammunition locked and stored separately. Children and teens should not be able to unlock the boxes that store firearms, and guns that are loaded and unlocked should not be stored in a car or anywhere else on your property.

The academy recommends guns be unloaded any time they're set down.

Where to find free gun locks

The Milwaukee Police Department provides a limited supply of free gun locks at its district locations. The department recommends those interested call ahead to see if any are available. District station contact information can be found here.

The Milwaukee Health Department hands out free gun locks at the Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Road.

The Health Department also said residents can reach out to the United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee, at 414-978-2024, about gun locks.