(WXYZ) — Detroit police say the 8-year-old who was shot in the head on Tuesday is still in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon. Police also say the father is now in custody and that several weapons have been recovered from the home.
The incident happened around noon Tuesday on Snowden Street near Eaton Avenue.
Police say there were four kids in the home, ranging in age from 1 years old to 8 years old. An unsecured firearm was allegedly left where a child could get access to it and the child either shot himself or another child got hold of it and shot the 8-year-old, according to police.
"They have to be more cautious, especially if you have little kids in the home. You can’t just leave your gun laying around knowing that there’s kids going around," neighbor Teresa Smith said.
Police say there were four adults in the home at the time of the shooting, but they were allegedly all asleep at the time of the shooting. Police say there was a 30 minute delay from when the incident happened to when they got the call and that a lot of questions remain.
"None of that really makes sense," Detroit Police Department Chief James White said on the scene. “We’re very concerned why no adult took the child to the hospital. We’re very concerned why it took 30 minutes."
White noted a resident of the home has a history of weapons charges, and multiple assault-style rifles were carried out of the home Tuesday as police and Child Protective Services were investigating.
“Just a very, very tragic and sad situation,” White said.
White reminded the community that anyone can receive a gun lock for free, and he hopes to see instances like these come to a stop.
"We’ve been here too many times and here we are again. We should not have to have another child shot and we should be sick and appalled by it," White added.
The investigation is ongoing.
