6-Year-Old Finds Gun in Home, Shoots Baby Brother

Cops say Detroit infant will survive after latest incident involving kids stumbling on firearms
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 10, 2023 9:30 AM CDT
6-Year-Old Finds Gun in Home, Shoots Baby Brother
Stock photo.   (Getty Images/Alex_Schmidt)

"Here we are again." That was the frustrated statement given Wednesday night by Detroit Assistant Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald, after a 6-year-old boy found a gun inside his house and shot his baby brother, twice—in what Fitzgerald noted has become a "too common occurrence," per NBC News. Fitzgerald said the incident took place earlier Wednesday, around 7:40pm, when the older sibling discovered an unregistered semi-automatic firearm in the home located in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood and shot the 1-year-old, who was jumping in his bouncy seat.

The baby was shot through his cheek and left shoulder but is expected to survive, Fitzgerald said. The injured infant was taken to Corewell Health's Beaumont Hospital, then transferred to another medical center, where he was said to be in stable condition, Fitzgerald noted, per the Detroit News. "We are very fortunate that that child is still with us," he added, per Click on Detroit. Fitzgerald said that at the time of the shooting, the children's mother was down the street at a relative's house, while the father was in the backyard with other kids and another adult working on a fence.

In April, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill into law that mandates guns not stored in a locked box to remain unloaded and locked if there's reason to believe a child may be present. That's something that apparently didn't happen here. "Once again, preventable," Fitzgerald said. "We're here far too often talking about securing your weapons. ... There are gun locks, gun safes, or even the highest shelf you [can] find in your house. Put the gun up as high as you can."

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So far, no arrests have been made, though an investigation is ongoing. The parents have been questioned and are said to be cooperating with law enforcement. Fitzgerald says any findings from the probe will be handed over to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office to determine if charges will be filed. (More shooting stories.)

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