An 11-year-old child is in critical condition after being shot in the face by another child inside a Detroit home Wednesday afternoon, police said.
The shooting happened in the 8000 block of Artesian Street on Detroit’s west side after an unsecured handgun was accessed inside the home. Police said three children, ages 11, 9 and 4, were inside the house without an adult when the gun went off.
A neighbor called 911 at about 2:19 p.m. after hearing a gunshot. Officers arrived roughly three minutes later and found the injured child. The child was initially taken to DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital before being transferred to Children’s Hospital.
Police Chief Todd Bettison said the child was stabilized but remained in critical condition.
Investigators have not publicly identified which child fired the handgun. Police are interviewing the children and working to determine exactly how the shooting happened.
No arrests had been made as of Wednesday evening. Police have been speaking with the children’s parents and were also working to obtain a search warrant for additional evidence from the home.
The incident has also raised concerns about the emotional impact on the children who were inside the house.
Officials said support services were being brought into the neighborhood to help the children and others affected by the shooting. Community violence intervention workers were at the scene, while mental health personnel were expected to offer trauma support to nearby residents. Police chaplains were also available.
Bettison used the incident to again urge Detroit gun owners to make sure firearms are stored securely and cannot be accessed by children.
He encouraged residents to check every firearm in their homes, including weapons that may have been forgotten, and to use a gun lock or secure gun safe when necessary.
The chief described the shooting as something that could have been prevented with proper firearm storage.
The investigation remains active as detectives work to establish how the child gained access to the handgun and what happened inside the home before the shooting.
For now, the focus remains on the injured child and the other children who witnessed the incident as authorities continue their investigation.
