DETROIT – A 5-year-old boy was shot on Detroit’s west side after police said someone fired multiple shots near a park, with a bullet striking the child in the arm as he rode his bicycle outside his home.
Detroit police Chief Todd Bettison said the shooting occurred on Tuesday (July 7) around 8:50 p.m.
Police said the child was riding his bicycle in front of his home while his father supervised him when the father heard about three gunshots and saw his son fall from the bike.
The child was taken for medical treatment and is expected to recover, Bettison said.
The bullet appeared to have caused a through-and-through injury to the boy’s arm, according to Bettison.
Police are investigating a person of interest and believe the case could be resolved quickly.
Bettison said the individual is described as possibly a 15- to 16-year-old who may have been wearing a mask and is known to frequent the area.
No one was in custody, and the weapon had not been recovered as of Tuesday night.
Bettison said investigators do not believe the child was targeted.
“From what I’m being told, ‘No’, it doesn’t appear that he was being shot at the child at all,” Bettison said. “Fired off some random shots, which is problematic.”
Bettison said the shooting highlights the dangers of firing guns in populated areas.
“When you fire a weapon, what goes up must come down,” Bettison said.
Police said there was no reported fight or confrontation that led to the gunfire.
The shots were fired near a park, but the child was struck while outside his home, Bettison said.
Bettison urged anyone with information about the shooting to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP or the Detroit Police Department’s 8th Precinct.
The chief said he planned to speak with the child’s family and had updated Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s office on the investigation.
“We’re not going to tolerate this in the city of Detroit,” Bettison said.
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