PONTIAC, Mich. — Pontiac residents and community leaders are speaking out after a string of violent events in the city, including the death of a 3-year-old boy Tuesday in what the Oakland County Sheriff's Office says was most likely caused by an unsecured firearm.
Longtime Pontiac resident Scott Turner said when he learned a 3-year-old child in his community had been shot and killed, he was heartbroken and frustrated.
See the full story from Ruta Ulcinaite in the video below
"It leaves you speechless. I mean, that's just total negligence, you know? How can something like that happen," Turned asked. "It's unbelievable."
Turner says gun owners have a responsibility to keep their weapons secured.
"If you're gonna have a gun in a house, it should be locked up, or again have one of those gun locks on it. And it shouldn't even be accessible to a young kid."
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard addressed the shooting Tuesday.
"Someone will be held accountable for this completely unnecessary tragedy," Bouchard said.
On Wednesday, Pontiac Mayor Mike McGuinness posted to social media that he has been in contact with the sheriff's office and has been informed that the father of the 3-year-old boy, who allegedly owns the gun and was not home at the time of the shooting, has been taken into custody. The sheriff's office has not yet confirmed the arrest.
McGuinness said the tragedy underscores the need for responsible gun ownership.
"We have to have families doing the right thing and not take such a casual approach to lethal weapons," McGuinness said.
The shooting death of the toddler came just days after another violent incident in the city, when one person was shot and another injured at a youth football game last weekend.
School District of the City of Pontiac Board Trustee Marcus Bowman said the back-to-back incidents have taken a toll on the community.
"The trauma on it is very terrible, it's heartbreaking to hear about something like this happening at children football, something like this happening to a child," Bowman said. "It’s a tragedy to see this happen.”
McGuinness said the city is working to address the ongoing violence. When asked whether initiatives tied to the Pontiac City Council's declaration of gun violence as a public health emergency a few months ago are working, he pointed to new efforts underway.
"City council has continued to be proactive, we've been working in recent weeks with them to develop a gun violence prevention task force. Because we want to keep moving that needle, we want to keep really infusing into the community strategies that are working," McGuinness said.
7 News Detroit stopped by the family's apartment Wednesday on Maynard Court near University Drive, where the boy's mother and grandmother were home. They were not interested in speaking, saying the family is grieving.
It is unclear whether anyone will face charges, but anyone found guilty of violating safe storage laws in Michigan could face up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office provides free gun locks at their offices.
____________
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.
