SOUTHWEST DETROIT – A 6-year-old boy has shot himself after getting ahold of an unsecured gun in southwest Detroit.
The incident occurred on Wednesday (May 22) at 6:30 p.m. in the 3100 block of South Ethel Street when the 6-year-old boy shot himself in the left thumb.
Officials say the boy has been transported to a Metro Detroit hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“The child goes into the home in an unknown room and then comes outside with the firearm,” said Detroit police Western Operation Deputy Chief Jacqueline Pritchett. “The boy is playing with it and accidentally discharges it and is shot in the left thumb.”
Pritchett said that Detroit police Chief James White was outraged that children keep getting ahold of unsecured guns and shooting themselves.
But she places full blame on the parents as they continue to leave their guns unsecured.
“I believe as a parent, we have a responsibility and a moral obligation to keep our children safe,” Pritchett said. “We have to ensure that if you have a firearm, it should be secured as the city of Detroit and all 12 of its precincts give out locks each and every day at no charge. If you have a gun, have a safe. Don’t have a gun in a child’s eyesight or hand reach. It teaches the children about gun safety as these are not toys but weapons, and they can kill.”
The child abuse unit is investigating the matter, and Pritchett says she is confident that a warrant would be given to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
Officials say the child’s grandmother was home at the time of the incidental shooting.
“Children are jewels and gifts, and we should treat them as such,” Pritchett said. “As a parent, we have a responsibility and a moral obligation to keep our children safe, especially at home.”