5-year-old dead after accidental gunshot wound, charges unknown

A young girl died early Wednesday morning after accidentally shooting herself. She has been identified as 5-year-old Mariah Davis.

This happened at a house in the 19,700 block of Oakfield Avenue on the city's west side, near Pembroke Avenue and the Southfield freeway.

"I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired," says Detroit Police Department Commander Jaqueline Pritchett. "It just hurts my heart. I can't imagine the pain the mother, the grandmother's feeling right now."

Police say the toddler's grandmother was downstairs cooking, when the little girl found a colt 38 revolver under her grandma's pillow and shot herself.

"She got the gun, she goes into the room with the other two kids who were 1 and 3, and she was playing with the gun and the gun went off and she was struck in the neck," says Pritchett. The 1 and the 3 year old were not hurt.

"The gun was not in a gun box; it was not locked; it was just laying up under a pillow," says Pritchett. "Education is paramount. If you are a CPL holder, if you have a gun in your home, I have no problem with the right to bear arms. However, if you have a gun in your home and there are kids there, the gun should be locked, it should be a a gun box."

Gun locks are given away for free at police precincts in Detroit.

Pritchett added that the investigation is still early and is unsure of any charges against the grandmother or another family member at this point. It is not known at this point who owns the gun.

This is the second time this month a child was accidentally shot by a gun. On Sunday, a 9-year-old shot himself in the hand after finding a gun lying in a neighbor's front yard. You can continue reading about that here.

This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 2 for updates.