DETROIT (WWJ) – Detroit police are continuing to investigate after a 5-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the hand Saturday with an unsecured gun.
The child was taken to the hospital around noon on Saturday after getting ahold of the gun at his ome in the area of Kendall and Linwood on the city’s west side.
Detroit Police Chief James White said during a press conference Monday the child is expected to lose a finger as a result of the incident, which remains under investigation.
White said it was initially indicated the gun was found in a vehicle and that’s where the shooting happened, but investigators have since found evidence inside the home and on the porch that suggest otherwise.
While the child is expected to lose a finger, White said “the scars from the incident will go much beyond his finger.”
The case is still under investigation and authorities are working to determine whether anyone will face charges for leaving the gun unsecured.
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“We have been here too many times talking about gun ownership and making sure that these weapons are secure,” White said Monday. “If you’re going to own a weapon you certainly have to have the responsibility of ensuring that it is not left in the hands of a child. In this incident it was.”
White said he is “tired of” explaining these types of cases when a child accidentally shoots themselves because a gun was left unsecured.
“You’re probably tired of hearing me talk about them,” he said. “But we have to be conscientious if we’re going to be owners of weapons. Guns get you in more trouble than they get you out of and if you’re gonna have one, you gotta make sure that you secure it.”
White has reiterated multiple times the department has gun locks available to all residents at every precinct.
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