6-Year-Girl Fatally Shot In Head With Unsecured Gun In Detroit: Police

DETROIT — A 6-year-old girl was accidentally shot and killed with an unsecured gun inside a car in Detroit on Monday, according to police.

The shooting happened around noon at a strip mall near Gratiot and Harper, according to police.

First Assistant Detroit Police Chief Charles Fitzgerald told reporters the 6-year-old girl was inside the car with four other children while the mother went inside a restaurant to pick up an order.

That's when the girl was fatally shot in the head with what Fitzgerald believes was an unsecured gun in the car.

At some point one of the kids tried to grab the mother, but Fitzgerald said it was too late.

It was immediately unclear if the girl had shot herself or if another child fired the gun. Fitzgerald also said it's unclear where the gun was inside the car.

"These things are so preventable," Fitzgerald said. "We have safe storage for a reason to secure your weapons."

Police are investigating the shooting and plan to turn over their findings to the prosecutor's office for potential charges.

Michigan law requires gun owners to safely lock away their firearms if there is a minor present. If a child gets ahold of a firearm that wasn't properly secured and uses the gun, the owner can face multiple penalties, including up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.