DETROIT (WXYZ) — A child shot himself after he found an unsecured gun at his grandmother's home in Southwest Detroit on Wednesday.
It happened around 6:30 a.m. on S. Ethel Street near Francis Avenue.
When officers arrived to the scene, they found the 6-year-old with a gunshot wound in his left thumb, police said. He was taken to the hospital with injuries that are not life threatening.
Police believe the child found the gun inside the home and went outside with it. He was playing with it as he shot himself.
“The chief was briefed. He is (outraged) like all of us should be," Deputy Chief Jacqueline Pritchett said. "But I believe as a parent, we have a parental responsibility and a moral obligation to keep our children safe. We have to ensure if you have a firearm, that firearm should be with a lock on it."
Michigan's safe storage law went into effect in February. It requires all gun owners with children in the home to securely lock away their firearms.
If a child shoots themself or someone else, the owner could face a felony charge, fines and prison time.
"The city of Detroit’s precincts — all 12 precincts — give out locks each and every day at no charge," Pritchett said. If you have a gun, have a safe. Do not have a gun in a child’s eyesight or hand reach. And teach the children about gun safety. These are not toys. These are weapons and they can kill.”
It's unclear at this time who the gun belongs to. But police were told the child’s grandmother was home at the time.
The department’s child abuse unit is investigating, which is standard protocol. Charges could be issued.
