Man sentenced after 4-year-old stepson fatally shoots himself with loaded gun

WatchMan sentenced after 4-year-old stepson fatally shoots himself with loaded gunby WKRC

Robert McCoy, 35, was sentenced Friday in Androscoggin County to 17 years, with nine years suspended, reports WGME. He will serve eight years in prison and then six years on probation, per the station. (Androscoggin County Jail)Comment on this story0CommentShare storySharetopics: ManslaughterAccidental shootingSentencingLoaded gunStepsonMaineJasper SmithRobert McCoyLEWISTON, Maine (WKRC) – A Maine man will spend eight years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of his 4-year-old stepson.

Robert McCoy, 35, was sentenced Friday in Androscoggin County to 17 years, with nine years suspended, reports WGME. He will serve eight years in prison and then six years on probation, per the station.

Authorities said Jasper Smith found a loaded gun in a zipped bag inside the family’s apartment in May 2025. The boy took the gun into his bedroom and accidentally shot himself in the head, according to prosecutors.

Police and emergency crews responded to a 911 call from the home shortly before 5 a.m. May 17, 2025. Jasper was taken to Central Maine Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Three other children were in the apartment at the time, according to reports.