(WXYZ) — Detroit police and Wayne County leaders gathered Tuesday to call on lawful gun owners to be responsible and help prevent injuries to children in the community.
“Detroit’s babies are getting shot in record numbers for us,” said DPD Chief James White.
White said last year, 67 children under the age of 17 in Detroit were injured in a shooting and nine were killed. He said so far this year, six children under the age of 17 have had a gunshot injury. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said just in the last few years, 22 children have been shot in the homes or cars or the backyards of homes of lawful gun owners, where children have found the gun.
White and Worthy along with other leaders are urging residents who own guns to make better decisions and store their firearms safely.
Worthy said during the press conference she has been working on pushing for Child Safety Access Laws for years and has been told they don’t have a chance of passing in the state.
“To me this is not a Second Amendment issue … this is a child safety issue,” said Worthy.
White says the Detroit Police Department precincts are willing to give out gun locks and to show residents how to use them. The Wayne County Sheriff headquarters is also giving away gun locks.
Worthy says the goal is not to send people to prison, but to hold them accountable if they’ve done something irresponsible.
“We are talking about responsibility … we want you to be responsible and we want you to be criminally responsible if you leave your gun in a crib with a baby,” said Worthy.
“Our children our dying and it’s completely preventable,” she added.
