Report: Man Beaten After Accidentally Shooting Child
Man Recovers From Injuries, Spends Time In Jail
POSTED: Tuesday, June 1, 2004
UPDATED: 8:13 pm EDT June 1,
2004
A man was beaten by residents in his neighborhood after he accidentally shot a 3-year-old child, according to Local 4 reports.
James Brooks, 24, was participating in an outdoor basketball game near the intersection of Pine and Moore streets in Inkster on Monday when police say the gun that was in the waistband of his pants fell to the ground.
When Brooks (pictured, right) picked the gun up by the trigger mechanism, it went off, striking a 3-year-old girl that was in the area, according to police.
The 3-year-old was taken to University of Michigan Medical Center to be treated. She was expected to recover.
Brooks asked a family member to call police so he could turn himself in, but before police arrived, he went to the father of the girl to confess to him what happened, Local 4 reported.
Police say after word spread of who was responsible for the shooting, several residents tracked down Brooks and beat him.

"Prior to Inkster police getting to him, he was assaulted by some of the local people in the neighborhood," said Detective Jeff Falkenstein, of the Inkster Police Department.
Inkster police believe the shooting was an accident, but Brooks was taken into custody after being treated at the hospital for his injuries.
He is expected to be arraigned Wednesday on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and careless discharge of a firearm causing injury.
Inkster police say Brooks could not identify any of his attackers and will not press charges.
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