A 3-year-old boy died after being shot inside a Pontiac home Tuesday afternoon, prompting an investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office into how a firearm became accessible inside the residence.
The shooting was reported shortly before 5 p.m. at a home on Maynard Court. The child was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard said several family members were inside the home when the shooting occurred, including the boy’s mother and grandmother. Five children, all age 8 or younger, were also at the residence.
Investigators have not determined who fired the gun or exactly how the shooting happened. Bouchard said preliminary information indicates the firearm belonged to the child’s father, who was not inside the home at the time.
The sheriff said the weapon appeared to have been accessible to someone inside the residence. Detectives are now working to establish who had access to the firearm and who was responsible for supervising the children when the shooting occurred.
Investigators were also working to determine who lives at the residence and establish the circumstances surrounding the weapon’s presence there.
Bouchard described the death as an unnecessary tragedy and said investigators expect that someone will ultimately be held responsible.
The sheriff also pointed to the importance of securing firearms in homes where young children are present. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office provides free gun locks to residents as part of its firearm-safety efforts.
The investigation remains active as detectives gather evidence and work to determine exactly what happened inside the Pontiac home. No individual had been publicly identified as the person who fired the weapon at the time of the latest available information.
Authorities have not announced criminal charges in connection with the shooting.
