DETROIT (WWJ) -- Police are investigating the tragic shooting death of an 8-year-old girl on Detroit's west side.
Detroit Police Chief James White said it happened just before noon on Tuesday at a home in the 8800 block of Heyden St., near Joy and Evergreen roads.
The little girl suffered a gunshot wound to her neck and shoulder and was taken to a local fire station where medics tried to stabilize her. She was then rushed by EMS to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.
There was a 10-year-old boy in the home at the time of the shooting, the chief said, but there were no adults present.
It's unclear if the girl shot herself or if the boy pulled the trigger. It's also not yet known how the child got to the fire station, White said.
The chief said that investigators will be questioning the boy about exactly what happened, but that he was first taken to a hospital to get checked out.
"We found some conditions inside the home that are quite concerning," White told reporters at a brief news conference. "So before we get him into an investigative process, we want to make sure all his needs are met medically, and that he's OK. Nothing too severe, but we just want to make sure.
"He's still a child, despite what he's potentially involved in."
White said child abuse investigators have joined the case.
The chief said that all of this information is preliminary and that this remains an active investigation.
"This is absolutely sad and tragic, and should not have happened," White added. "...I've got an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old in a house with an unsecured weapon. I've got kids that should be in school, so it shouldn't have happened."
It's unclear who owns the gun used in the shooting. White said police are still looking for it and will obtain a search warrant to search the house.
A neighbor called 911 after hearing the gunshot. She told WWJ's Ryan Marshall she was "very, very terrified."
"I'm trying to hold my tears back," she said. "That poor baby. And to see all that blood there, it’s a bit much.”
Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest on this developing story.
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