MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A Burlington County father of three made his first appearance in court after child endangerment charges were filed in the death of his 4-year-old son who accidentally shot himself in the family home two weeks ago.
Andrew Mack, 31, said little at a brief hearing before Judge Mark Tarantino, who released the Naval petty officer assigned to Fort McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Mack, dressed in a standard issue orange prison jumpsuit, attended the hearing by a video link from the county jail with his wife in the courtroom.
Mack is charged after his son Lincoln Mack took a 9 millimeter handgun from the bedroom where the elder Mack was sleeping, and shot himself in the face. Prosecutors insist he should have stored the gun properly.
"It's an accident and they do happen," defense attorney Rick Isolda told KYW Newsradio. "He is going to pay for the rest of his life."
But he could face several years in jail if convicted on the endangerment charge.
"The prosecutor's office took a reasonable position by not seeking to detain him," Isolda added, "and I know they feel compassion for my client."
Pemberton neighbors have started a GoFundMe fundraiser to cover funeral expenses for the boy, who is survived by an older brother and a younger sister.
Andrew Mack has surrendered several legally-owned weapons and is ordered to continue with mental health treatment. His next scheduled hearing is a pre-indictment conference on April 8.
