9-year-old finds gun in Detroit yard and accidentally shoots self, suffers minor injuries

DETROIT (WJBK) - A 9-year-old boy accidentally shot himself Sunday afternoon after finding a gun lying in a neighbor's front yard, only suffering minor injuries.

The incident took place around 2:45 p.m. Sunday in front of his home on the 17000 block of Faust, near M-39 and Outer Drive on Detroit's west side.

Police said the boy and his 12-year-old sister were outside playing down the street from their home when they found a .45 caliber handgun laying in someone's front yard.

He picked up the gun and start running towards his home, and soon after the gun went off, striking the boy in one of his fingers. He is being treated at a nearby hospital and is expected to be alright.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found the gun in the dumpster at the home. According to police, the stepfather put it there to make sure no one else grabbed it. They also spoke to the homeowner where the gun was found, and confirmed it doesn't belong to him.

So now, they have to figure out where the weapon came from.

"It will be looked into by our detectives," Detroit Police Captain Kurt Worboys said. "The gun will be run to see if it's stolen, if it's involved in other crimes -- things of that nature."

Police said they will be talking to the boy's parents again to hopefully gather more details.