(Scypre.com) – In a disturbing incident on Saturday around 7:30 p.m. in Manhasset, a Long Island man allegedly brandished a firearm at a 6-year-old boy who mistakenly left a Halloween goody bag on his front porch. The 42-year-old mother, accompanied by her daughter, two sons, and a nephew, had dropped off the candy at 138 Rockcrest Road, believing it to be her friend’s residence, as reported by Nassau County police.
The children rang the doorbell, left the candy on the porch, and departed. However, realizing a possible address mistake, they returned to the home. The 6-year-old boy went to retrieve the bag, and at that moment, a man emerged from the house, pointing a black handgun at the child’s head and shouting, “Get the f–k off my property!” The suspect, identified as 43-year-old Michael Yifan Wen, was later arrested on charges of second-degree menacing and endangering the welfare of a child.
Wen was arraigned on Sunday, pleading not guilty to both charges and was released without bail. An order of protection was issued, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 13. Authorities confiscated all of Wen’s firearms on Monday. Wen’s lawyer, William X. Zou, explained that the family had been on edge due to recent incidents, including strangers knocking on their door at night.
Zou stated, “I think what happened yesterday was totally a misunderstanding and a mistake. He and his family have been terrorized recently by constant banging on his door.” The attorney added that Wen regretted his reaction upon realizing it was a child. The incident is reminiscent of other cases where individuals ringing the wrong doorbell faced gun-related confrontations.
In May, David Doyle was arrested for allegedly shooting a 14-year-old girl playing hide-and-seek on his Louisiana property. Another case involved the shooting of a black teen in the head in Kansas City, and a fatal shooting in Hebron, New York, after a vehicle went to the wrong address by mistake. Kevin Monahan was charged with second-degree murder in the latter case, claiming self-defense due to the perceived threat.