DETROIT (WWJ) -- A child has been shot on Detroit's west side after police say a parent left their gun unsecured in the home.
Detroit Police responded Wednesday afternoon to a 911 call about a shooting on Artesian Street, near Tireman and the Southfield Freeway.
The DPD confirmed that officers arrived on scene to find an 11-year-old boy who'd been shot in the face.
EMS responded and the boy was taken to a hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
According to Police Chief Todd Bettison, it's believed that an adult left a handgun accessible in the home, a child picked it up, and the 11-year-old was shot. He said a neighbor heard the gunfire and called police, who arrived in the home within three minutes.
Bettison said, along with the 11-year-old boy, the other children in the home were 4 and 8 years old.
It's unclear which one it's believed pulled the trigger, as the investigation continues.
Whenever there's a shooting involving a child in the city, officials remind the public to lock up their guns.
This time, Bettison added: "When we talk about secure your weapon and giving out a gun lock, we just assume we have one gun in the house. I know people who don't even know how many guns they have in the house. So, I need everybody to do a gun inventory, and find the guns that you forgot about in your house. And if a gun lock doesn't work, get a big gun safe, and put 'em all in the safe."
As for potential charges in the case, the chief said the gun used in the shooting is believed to belong to a parent. He said he'll talk about charges at a later date.
"But the parents are grieving," he added. "I can't even imagine the pain that the father has, that the mother has, that the siblings have. They're in trauma right now."
Under Michigan's safe storage law (Public Act 17 of 2023 / MCL 28.429), firearm owners must keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked with a locking device or stored in a locked box or container whenever it is reasonably known that a minor under 18 is, or is likely to be, present.
Free gun locks are available to city residents at all Detroit Police Department Precincts, with no questions asked. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) provides an interactive MDHHS Gun Lock Distribution Map showing over 150 partner sites statewide where free cable gun locks are available.
