3-Year-Old Boy Shot, Killed Inside Oakland County Home: Sheriff

PONTIAC, MI — Police are investigating after officials said a 3-year-old boy was shot and killed Tuesday inside a Pontiac home.

The incident happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday at a home in the 100 block of Maynard Court near M-59 and University Drive in Pontiac, officials said.

Investigators believe the boy was shot inside the home with a weapon that was not securely stored.

The 3-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital where he died, officials said.

Inside the home were the boy's mother, grandmother and five other children under the age of 8, including an 8-month-old, officials said.

"You've got a dead 3-year-old," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said during a news conference. "There wasn't proper, in my belief, responsible behavior occurring with that weapon if some of these kids could get to it."

Investigators are still working to determine how the boy was shot. They did recover a Taurus handgun from the home, adding they believe it belongs to the boy's father, who was not at the home when the shooting occurred.

It was unclear who all actually lives in the home.

Police have not yet made an arrest in the shooting as they continue investigating the shooting.

Michigan does have a safe storage law, which went into effect in February 2024. The law requires gun owners to lock away guns if a child is likely to be present on the premises. Those found guilty of violating the safe storage law could face up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both.

"It's one of those situations that just makes you angry because it was completely 100 percent avoidable," Bouchard said. "Someone will be held accountable for this completely unnecessary tragedy."