A 5-year-old child was accidently shot and killed by an 18-month-old child who was playing with a firearm in Detroit.
The incident occurred in the 2400 block of Sturtevant Street just after 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
“It’s a sad day in the city today,” said Tiffany Stewart, commander of Detroit’s 10th Precinct. “We lost another child in the city due to lack of firearm safety. This was completely avoidable.”
Police say the toddler was playing with the gun when it discharged and struck the 5-year-old, who later died from his injuries at a local hospital.
The children’s father was detained for further questioning, Stewart said. The children’s grandmother, who was home when the incident occurred, was also questioned.
The 5-year-old was shot in his neck, Stewart said. Police have recovered the firearm, identified it as a Glock.
“This is why we emphasize gun safety with gun locks and lockboxes. So that we don’t have circumstances like this. ” Stewart said. “There have been far too many in the city of Detroit. A baby has been shot and killed and it was avoidable.”
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