An 18-month-old child reportedly shot and killed a 5-year-old while playing with an unattended firearm, the Detroit Police Department announced Wednesday.
“It’s a sad day in the city today. We lost another child in the city due to lack of firearm safety. This was completely avoidable,” said Commander Tiffany Stewart of the Detroit Police at a news conference. (RELATED: Babysitter Packed Bag, Fled State After Child Shot Himself In The Head With Unattended Gun)
Police received a call around 9:30 a.m. from within the house in the 2400 block of Sturtevant, near La Salle Blvd., Detroit, reporting that an 18-month-old had shot another child. The call came moments after the baby fired the gun, Stewart stated.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the injured 5-year-old with a gunshot to the neck. The child died later at a hospital. Police have also recovered the gun — a Glock.
While the accident occurred, another 1-year-old was in the house with a grandmother.
Police have taken the children’s father for additional questioning regarding the circumstances of the incident.
“This is why we emphasize gun safety in the city of Detroit with gun locks and lockboxes so that we don’t have circumstances like this,” said Stewart. “There have been far too many of these type of circumstances in the city of Detroit.”
When asked about the 18-month-old baby, Stewart said that the baby is with the police along with the grandmother.
Cops are still investigating the case.