Toddler Critically Injured in Detroit Home Shooting

DETROIT, November 3, 2026 — Police are investigating after a 2-year-old was shot inside a home in the 12900 block of Evergreen Road, near I-96, at about 8 a.m. The child was in critical condition at a nearby medical center, Police Chief Todd Bettison said. He said he believed the child would survive.

The child’s mother was preparing food for the morning meal when she heard a sudden bang and found the toddler shot, Bettison said. A 4-year-old sibling was present in the home and was not injured. The child’s father was at the hospital with the toddler when the chief spoke.

Police said the shooting involved an unsecured firearm registered to the mother. She did not hold a permit to carry a concealed handgun, but Bettison said one was not required for a firearm kept in her home. Investigators have not determined exactly how the gun was found or accessed.

Bettison urged gun owners to secure firearms with a lock or in a safe, warning that placing a weapon in a purse or on a shelf may not make it secure. Free gun locks are available through police precincts, including the Sixth Precinct, which serves the area.

The department plans to develop community safety forums to help residents learn how to keep firearms safely at home. Michigan law requires unattended firearms to be unloaded and locked, or kept in a locked container, when it is reasonably known a minor is likely to be present.

Toddler’s Shooting Underscores the Need for Safe Gun Storage

DETROIT, November 3, 2026 — A toddler was critically injured by an unsecured firearm inside a west-side Detroit home, renewing the urgency of preventing children from reaching guns kept in the home. Police Chief Todd Bettison said the 2-year-old was expected to survive, but remained in critical condition.

The child’s mother was preparing food for the morning meal when she heard a sudden bang and discovered the toddler had been shot, Bettison said. A 4-year-old sibling was also in the home but was not hurt. Police have yet to establish how the firearm was found or accessed.

The gun was registered to the mother. Bettison said she was not required to have a permit to carry a concealed handgun for a firearm kept in her home. He urged gun owners to use a lock or safe, and said a weapon in a purse or on a shelf may still be accessible or discharge unintentionally.

The case highlights the stakes behind Michigan’s secure-storage requirement: unattended guns must be unloaded and locked, or kept in a locked container, when a minor is reasonably likely to be nearby. Bettison said police will plan community safety forums and noted that free gun locks are available at precincts, including the Sixth Precinct. Those measures offer practical ways to reduce the chance of another child being injured.

Detroit Shooting Prompts Focus on Responsible Gun Storage

DETROIT, November 3, 2026 — A 2-year-old was critically injured in a home shooting involving an unsecured firearm, prompting Detroit’s police chief to call on gun owners to store weapons responsibly. Todd Bettison said he believed the child would survive, though the toddler was in critical condition.

The child’s mother was preparing breakfast when she heard a sudden bang and found the toddler shot. A 4-year-old sibling was present but unharmed. Investigators are still working to establish how the firearm was found and accessed.

Police said the gun was registered to the mother. Bettison said she did not need a permit to carry a concealed handgun for a firearm kept at home. He emphasized that owners who choose to keep guns in their homes must secure them, and cautioned that a purse or shelf may not be sufficient protection.

Free gun locks are available at police precincts, including the Sixth Precinct, and the department plans community safety forums on safe firearm storage. Michigan’s law requires unattended weapons to be unloaded and secured with a lock, or placed inside a locked container, when a minor is reasonably likely to be in the area. The response should center on making safe storage accessible and reinforcing personal responsibility, rather than assuming a license requirement would have prevented this shooting.