WARREN, Mich. – A 3-year-old has been hospitalized after an accidental shooting in Warren late Tuesday night.
It’s a bad situation that could’ve been a lot worse.
According to Warren police, the 3-year-old accidentally shot himself in the hand with a gun at The Cove apartment complex on 10 Mile and Hoover at around 10 p.m.
The child was taken to a local hospital and is expected to be okay.
Police said the child was accompanied by his mother, a 24-year-old Warren woman.
“They learned that the child found an unsecured handgun inside the family apartment,” Warren Police Lt. John Gajewski, said. “We are unbelievably thankful that this is not a more serious tragedy.”
The child found the semi-automatic weapon in the apartment and fired a single round into his hand.
No other injuries were reported and no one else was hit.
Police recovered the gun and said they are working on processing additional evidence and interviewing another adult who may have information on what led to the shooting.
But this incident once again highlights the need to safely secure guns and ammunition from kids.
“There are gun locks available here at the Warren Police Department 24/7/365,” Gajewski “There’s gun locks available at the Mayor’s office. There’s gun locks available at most of your local police departments.”
“Here at the Warren Police Department, if you come in for a gun lock, we’re not going to check you for warrants,” he added. “We’re not going to check your criminal history. We’re going to ask you ‘how many do you need?’”
Warren police said there could be charges, including violations of Michigan’s Safe Storage Law, which was passed in 2023.
The law, which was passed in 2023, requires gun owners to store them unloaded in a locked container, or with a gun lock, when a child is likely to be present on the premises, or when the firearm is in a vehicle. People in violation could face potential felony charges.
Any charging decisions will be up to the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, and no arrests have been made at this time.
The primary focus to make sure there aren’t more incidents where kids end up injured or dead because of wayward weapons.
“Kids will find things, and their curiosity is something that we have to factor in,” Gajewski said. “As responsible adults, it’s our responsibility to protect the children who are ours or in our custody.”