Law enforcement frustrated, stresses importance of securing guns
(CBS DETROIT) - Gun safety concerns are mounting following an accidental shooting that injured a 1-year-old in Detroit.
Police are stressing the importance of making sure firearms are secure and out of the reach of children.
"Here we are again, another senseless, preventable, horrible incident for this young kid," said Detroit Police Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald. "It's a baby. A baby, a 1-year-old."
WATCH: Gun store owner explains how to store and secure firearms
Fitzgerald expressed feelings of frustration Wednesday night after a 6-year-old got a hold of a handgun that fired off, hitting his 1-year-old sibling. The baby was sitting in a bouncy.
"The 1-year-old was shot through the cheek, and through his left shoulder," Fitzgerald said. "We're very, very fortunate that that child is still alive."
Bill Kusyk, the owner of Action Impact Firearm Range and Training Center in Southfield, says gun owners who fail to lock their weapons often need more training on how to respond quickly during an emergency.
"The important question is, why don't people lock their guns up in their house when they have children? And I think it's because they live in fear," Kusyk said.
"They're insecure in their abilities to operate that firearm. It only takes some minutes of training and you can get over that hurdle of feeling so insecure you have to have a loaded gun within your reach but it's also within that child's reach and I think that's what we have to overcome."
READ: Michigan State Representative introduces constitutional carry bill
On Thursday, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy addressed the severity of gun safety and possible charges gun owners can face when they fail to do so.
"When you have weapons lying on coffee tables, under beds, under pillows, on top of consoles, Gameboy consoles where children play when you have children in and out of the house," Worthy said.
"And you know, you're having children in another house, and you can't take a second to secure your gun. I think it's criminal. And again, as you probably know, this was one of three gun bills that just passed and the governor signed a few weeks back. It's been something I've been working on for eight years. It is just infuriating. And it's going to continue to happen, but we continue to charge these I was also the first prosecutor in the state that started charging these cases because was that serious."
