Detroit toddler critically injured in shooting involving unsecured gun
The child was shot shortly before 10 a.m. near Evergreen Road and I-96, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said. The toddler was taken to a hospital and remained in critical condition. A 4-year-old sibling was also at home and was not hurt.
Bettison said the children’s mother was cooking breakfast when she heard a loud pop and found the 2-year-old had been shot. Investigators have not determined whether the toddler fired the gun or someone else in the home did. No one was in custody as police worked to establish what happened.
Sheffield said she was heartbroken and angry, and said adults are responsible for keeping loaded firearms away from children. She urged gun owners to store firearms unloaded and locked, with ammunition kept separately, and said free gun locks are available at Detroit Police Department precincts.
The mayor also warned that hiding a firearm or placing it on a high shelf does not make it safe. The investigation is ongoing.
Detroit shooting underscores urgency of secure gun storage
A 2-year-old is fighting for their life after being shot by an unsecured gun at a home on Detroit’s west side. The shooting happened shortly before 10 a.m. near Evergreen Road and I-96, and the child was in critical condition at a hospital.
Mayor Mary Sheffield said young children lack the judgment to recognize the risks posed by a loaded firearm. Her message focused on the preventable responsibility adults have: guns should be unloaded and locked away, with ammunition stored separately. Free gun locks are available at Detroit Police Department precincts.
A 4-year-old sibling was home but unharmed. Police Chief Todd Bettison said the mother was making breakfast when she heard a loud pop and found the toddler had been shot. Investigators have not established whether the 2-year-old fired the weapon or someone else did, and no one was in custody.
The uncertainty about who fired the gun does not change the central warning Sheffield delivered: children should not pay the price when firearms are left accessible. She cautioned that hiding a gun or putting it on a high shelf is not a substitute for locking it securely. Police are investigating.
Police investigate Detroit toddler shooting as details remain unclear
A 2-year-old was critically injured in a shooting at a home on Detroit’s west side, and investigators have not determined who fired the gun. The incident occurred shortly before 10 a.m. near Evergreen Road and I-96. No one was in custody as police worked to reconstruct what happened.
Police Chief Todd Bettison said the child’s mother was cooking breakfast when she heard a loud pop and discovered the toddler had been shot. A 4-year-old sibling was also in the home and was unharmed. The 2-year-old remained in critical condition at a hospital.
Mayor Mary Sheffield condemned the presence of an unsecured firearm within a child’s reach and called on gun owners to store firearms unloaded and locked, with ammunition kept separately. Free gun locks are available at Detroit Police Department precincts. She also warned that a hidden gun or one placed on a high shelf is not secure storage.
Safe handling matters, but the available details do not establish whether the toddler or another person fired the weapon. The investigation remains underway, and the facts of how the shooting happened still need to be established.
Reported by ClickOnDetroit WDIV, CBS Detroit.
