5-year-old shot in the arm in Detroit, police investigating

Published July 7, 2026 10:36 PM EDT

A 5-year-old was shot at a Detroit park late Tuesday night. 

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Detroit police say the incident happened at a park on Oakfield and Trojan near the 8 Mile and Southfield area. There, they say someone was allegedly shooting off a gun. 

The victim was riding his bike outside his home while his father supervised him. That was when he heard three shots and saw his child fall off the bike at 8:50 a.m.

The dad called 911 and that was when ambulances arrived. 

The 5-year-old is expected to be okay after being hit in the arm by a bullet. 

"We do have a person of interest that we are looking at, so I expect us to close this fairly quickly," DPD Chief Todd Bettison said.

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Bettison says the gun may have shot off in the air, with the bullet coming back down hitting the child.

Officials do have a good idea of whom the shooter was, possibly a teen. The suspect is known in the area and witnesses say he was seen with a mask on.

Police say the child was not targeted in the shooting. 

Detroit police are asking anyone with information to call 1-800-SPEAK-UP. 

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