DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — Free gun locks are available at every Detroit Police Department precinct.
DPD is encouraging people to lock up their guns so no more children get hurt.
“We’re getting careless and we should not be getting careless especially if you got kids, you got your grand babies in the house, you just have elderly people in the house, you should have gun locks,” said Geri Washington of Detroit.
Geri Washington was one of the many Detroit residents who was at DPD’s gun safety event held at their gun range on Saturday.
Washington received a gun lock and an officer showed her how to use it.
“It’ll be easier now that I know what I’m supposed to do cause I was locking it, but I was locking it wrong,” said Washington.
The DPD gun lock event comes one day after a 3-year-old boy shot himself inthe face with his mother’s gun. He’s expected to be ok physically.
This happened on St. Patrick Ave near Elmo Street on Detroit’s east side.
Chief James White said the boy’s mom has a gun lock box but at the time of the shooting she had left the gun on the counter.
“Enough is enough, we’ve all got to do better job of protecting our children, if you’re going to have a weapon, you’re going to have responsibility and it’s not going to be tolerated,” said Chief White.
“You want it to be as hard as possible for them to get ahold of it, and to actually use it,” said Whitnie Denard of Detroit.
Whitnie Denard was also at the gun safety event.
She says her nieces and nephews are at her house a lot and she wanted to make sure she had gun locks for her weapons.
“It’s way too many babies finding guns and hurting themselves because the parents or whoever was in charge was careless with the weapon,” said Denard.
If you do have a gun and there are kids in the house, keep in mind that Michigan’s gun storage law went into effect last year.
If your gun is not secured and a child shoots themselves or someone else, you could face prison time and/or a fine.
Chief White says the mom of the 3-year-old is facing charges.
