DETROIT (WXYZ) — A child was shot while riding his bike outside his home in Detroit Tuesday night, Police Chief Todd Bettison said.
The shooting happened around 8:50 p.m. near the Fargo-Oakfield Playground in the area of Lindsay Street and Trojan Avenue.
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Police say the child was shot in the arm and is expected to be OK.
According to Bettison, the child was riding his bike outside his home with his father's supervision when someone fired shots at the park nearby, hitting the boy.
The father told police he heard about three gunshots before seeing his son fall off his bike and onto the ground.
"Of course, bullets travel. The child was in front of his home where he's supposed to be, being supervised," Bettison said. "The child did nothing wrong and the parents did nothing wrong."
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A suspect is not in custody, however, police are searching for a person of interest who they believe is a minor around the age of 15 or 16. The person of interest was wearing a mask at the time, but Bettison said he's known to be in the area often, so residents nearby know who he is.
"I expect, of course, shortly within the next day or two to be able to give an update that we have identified (the person)," Bettison said.
The chief says they believe the suspect was randomly firing shots and that there was no altercation taking place.
"Just to parents and everyone: know where your kids are. Juveniles should not have guns. And whether you're an adult or a child, you should not be firing a weapon inside of the city limits because what goes up, comes down. We talk about it all the time and we're definitely going to hold the individual accountable," Bettison said.
Bettison says he plans to speak with the father Tuesday night. He also spoke with Mayor Mary Sheffield
Police are continuing to investigate. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stopper at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.
