Parents in the community of Manhasset in Long Island, New York have expressed concern after a man pulled a gun on a child over candy.
The incident was described as being “really scary” by residents in the community after a man allegedly pulled a gun on a 6-year-old boy who had been retrieving a bag of candy left at the wrong doorstep, police say, CBS News reported.
A neighbor, Marta Gabrielli said it was “really scary and disturbing, especially because this neighborhood is a really safe neighborhood filled with kids.”
A Long Island man allegedly pulled a gun on a 6-year-old who mistakenly delivered a Halloween goody bag on his porch, according to the Nassau County Police Department.https://t.co/QM2o9tVnbw
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A woman had been driving her three children and her nephew around on Saturday night to drop off Halloween goody bags at her friend’s houses, police say.
Her daughter and son accidentally left a bag of candy on the doorstep of a home located on Rockcrest Road. After leaving, they realized they had dropped the candy off at the wrong home and went back to retrieve it.
When the woman’s 6-year-old son went to the doorstep to get the bag of candy, Michael Wen, 43, opened the door and pulled a gun at the child’s head and reportedly screamed at him to get off of his property.
“It’s supposed to be a happy, fun Halloween and something like this that happened, it’s just terrible,” a resident of the community, Alisa told the outlet. “It’s just horrific.”
Wen was arrested and charged with menacing and endangering the welfare of a child and was released from custody after appearing in court on Sunday, according to the outlet.
“I think what happened yesterday was totally a misunderstanding and a mistake,” Wen’s attorney, William Zou explained to the outlet. “He and his family has been terrorized recently by constant banging on his door.”
Zou shared a video with the outlet showcasing a recent incident involving teenagers knocking on the door of Wen’s home, adding that Wen assumed he was being targeted.
Wen was ordered to take a mental health evaluation, according to the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, and is expected to appear back in court on Nov. 3.