DETROIT (WXYZ) — An 11-year-old boy is recovering at Children’s Hospital after undergoing surgery following an accidental shooting inside his father’s home on Detroit’s west side.
Watch Randy's report in the video player below:
Detroit police report the boy’s younger brother got hold of an unsecured firearm at the home on Artesian Street near Tireman Avenue and accidentally shot him.
The victim is now in stable condition and improving.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison announced a major development in the investigation, confirming that the boys' father has been taken into police custody.
'I Got Shot in the Mouth'
Following the shooting, the younger brother asked neighbor Norrice Turner for help.
"Well, I was laying in my bed, then I get up playing with my dog. I heard a gunshot," Turner said.
When Turner rushed over to the house, he found the 11-year-old badly injured.
"I go in and the brother is on the floor with a bunch of blood on there," Turner recalled. "So I'm telling him, 'Just be still, be still.' He was like, 'Help me, help me. My mouth hurting.' I said, 'Where did you get shot at?' He's like, 'I got shot in the mouth.'"
Turner immediately called 911 to get emergency medical personnel to the scene.
A source tells 7 News Detroit that there were several firearms inside the home, and all of them—except for the handgun involved in the shooting—were locked inside a gun safe.
Community Canvass and Gun Safety Push
As police continue their investigation, community stakeholders took to the streets. Detroit Police Commissioner Victoria Camille and members of FORCE Detroit canvassed the Artesian Street neighborhood, speaking with residents about responsible firearm storage and handing out free gun locks door-to-door.
Van McSwain, who lives just doors down from where the shooting occurred, welcomed the outreach after a traumatic night for the block.
"I have children, grandchildren, so just to see the parents and the child shook up, it was bad," McSwain said. "I had nightmares last night."
McSwain added that he hopes the outreach effort doesn't stop here. "I hope they keep it going. I don’t want them to stop because it dies down, I want it to keep going."
A Pattern of Unsecured Guns
Wednesday's shooting comes just a week after a Detroit Police officer and his wife were charged in Canton after their toddler son brought a loaded, unsecured handgun into a daycare facility in a backpack.
Related Story: Toddler found with loaded gun at Canton daycare
While no one was physically hurt in the daycare incident, community leaders say these back-to-back events highlight an ongoing, urgent crisis.
"It’s a reminder to all of us that if you’re exercising your right to own firearms, just keep them secure from our young people," Commissioner Camille said.
Once Detroit Police finish their investigation, the case will be presented to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to determine formal charges against the father.
Free cable gun locks are available to the public with no questions asked at any Detroit Police precinct and most local law enforcement agencies across Metro Detroit.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
