3-year-old boy injured after shooting himself with mother's gun, Detroit police say
(CBS DETROIT) - Police say a 3-year-old boy is in critical condition after he shot himself with his mother's gun on Friday in Detroit.
Authorities responded to the area of Elmo Street and Saint Patrick Avenue. Police Chief James White said a preliminary investigation revealed that the boy's mother came home from work and set her gun down on the dresser.
The child then got ahold of the gun within minutes.
White said the child was reportedly grazed by a bullet and is expected to survive.
"A 3-year-old toddler roaming around, they see you put the gun down, they're probably gonna pick it up just like anything else," White said in a news conference on Friday.
Police say they are investigating whether the mother had a license for the gun. There was a lock box in the home, but it was not being used at the time of the shooting, according to police.
Lorenzo Hardy, who lives a few doors from where the shooting occurred, says he knows it's the lingering effects that the child may now encounter.
"It's the trauma, it's the thing that a 3-year-old has to live with the rest of his life," Hardy said. "It's really, really sad that a child gets to hold a gun; it's ridiculous."
