Detroit Father Arrested After Child Is Shot With Unsecured Gun: Police

DETROIT — A father was arrested in connection to child neglect after police said his son was shot in the head with an unsecured gun inside a Detroit home Tuesday, a department spokesperson confirmed to Patch Thursday.

Detroit Police Chief James White said an 8-year-old boy was inside a home in the 14800 block of Snowden Street near Schaefer Road and Lyndon Street at noon when the shooting happened.

As of Thursday morning, the child was listed in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

Police do not know if the gun belonged to the father or exactly where a child grabbed the gun. Police said multiple weapons were taken from the home.

White said investigations do not know if the child shot himself or if another child shot the 8-year-old. It was unclear if the children were related to one another. He also said there were four other children, ages 1 through 8, and four adults inside the home where the shooting happened.

White said the adults were sleeping at noon when the shooting happened.

Additionally, White said the adults waited 30 minutes to call police after the shooting happened.

Investigators do not know how a child got a hold of the gun and were still looking for the firearm used in the shooting, White said.

Investigators also determined that Child Protective Services had also been to the home before with the most recent visits just a few weeks ago, police said.

"It's a very tragic and sad situation," White said. "We've been here too many times, and here we are again where it did not have to happen. We did not have to have another young child in the community shot, and we should be sick and appalled by it, just absolutely tired of it."

Police were still investigating the shooting.