Detroit grandmother in custody after teen fatally shot while children play with her gun

13-year-old boy shot in home on Detroit's west side

DETROIT – A grandmother is in custody after a 13-year-old boy was killed Monday while four teenage boys were playing with a gun in a home on Detroit's west side, police said.

Officers said three grandchildren of the homeowner -- 13-, 14- and 15-year-old boys -- invited a 13-year-old boy to the home on Tireman Avenue.

The four boys were playing video games when the homeowner's grandchildren went upstairs and picked up the grandmother's revolver to try to scare the 13-year-old, police said. The revolver had been left on a nightstand and didn't have a trigger lock, investigators said.

Police said the gun went off and the bullet hit the 13-year-old visitor in the chest. It's unclear who was handling the gun when it went off.

Police said they believe the shooting is a result of a gun owner failing to properly secure her weapon in the home while she went to work as a postal worker.

The grandmother has been taken into custody. Her three grandsons are being interviewed by police.

Authorities performed CPR on the victim at the scene, but he was pronounced dead at Henry Ford Hospital.

If not for the heavy snowfall, the boys would have been in school, but class was canceled for Monday due to the winter storm.

Two of the boys live in the home with their grandmother, police said.

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About the Author:

Derick is the Lead Digital Editor for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013. Derick specializes in breaking news, crime and local sports.