DETROIT (WWJ) – The father of an 8-year-old boy who was shot in the head inside his home on Detroit’s west side on Tuesday has been arrested.
The father is expected to face charges of second-degree child neglect after the weapon was apparently left unsecured in the home on Snowden Street – near Schaefer Highway and Lyndon Street – while four kids, ages 1-8, were inside.
As the investigation is still underway, authorities are not yet sure whether the child shot himself or if one of the other children pulled the trigger.
The boy remained hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, according to police.
Detroit police officials said Wednesday the boy’s parents and aunt and uncle were apparently sleeping inside the home at the time of the shooting. A spokesperson said the prosecutor will determine whether any further charges will be filed.
Officials found multiple weapons inside the home, including the gun used in Tuesday’s shooting.
Detroit Police Chief James White on Tuesday said it was an unfortunately familiar situation.
“We've been here too many times, and here we are again, where it did not have to happen,” White told reporters. “We did not have to have another young child in our community shot, and we should be sick and appalled by it, and absolutely tired of it."
Authorities are stressing the importance of safe gun ownership, urging gun owners to keep them locked and stored out of reach of children.