DETROIT (WWJ) -- A Detroit man is in custody after his young son picked up his gun and shot himself on the city's northwest side, Tuesday morning.
According to Detroit Police, the 4-year-old boy is in stable condition at a local hospital, where he's being treated for a gunshot wound to the hand.
Deputy Police Chief Arnold Williams said the shooting happened just before 10 a.m. on Dec. 17, at a home near 7 Mile Rd. and I-75.
The father told investigators he was sleeping on the couch with the gun under his pillow, when boy was able to pull it out and shoot himself in his right hand.
Williams said kids getting ahold of guns is a very serious and pervasive problem in Detroit.
"Right now one of the biggest issues we have is with parents who have firearms, or other family members who may have firearms inside a home, and those firearms not being secured," Williams said. "Children think those weapons may be toys, and they're always going to have some curiosity."
The father is in police custody. His name was not immediately released, with charges pending.
Williams wants to remind parents and anyone who may have children in their home to always lock up their guns.
Free gun locks are available to residents at Detroit Police precincts, MDHHS county offices, and many local health departments and police departments statewide.
Under Michigan's safe storage laws, if a gun is left unsecured, and a minor were to harm themselves or others, the gun owner can be charged with a felony, with the potential of 10 to 15 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.