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Uncle charged after 5-year-old boy shoots, kills self with unsecured gun in Detroit

By Amber Ainsworth
Published  August 25, 2022 11:46am EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A 29-year-old Detroit man is facing charges after authorities say his 5-year-old nephew got ahold of an unsecured gun and killed himself Monday night.

Keon Lavell Pritchett is charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of felon in possession – ammunition, and one count of tampering with evidence, and two counts of felony firearm.

According to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, Carlin McDaniel found the gun at a home in the 19000 block of Oakfield around 10:30 p.m. and shot himself in the head. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

5-year-old dead after finding unsecured gun in Detroit home

Police say it appears a 5-year-old boy shot himself with a gun he found unsecured in a Detroit home. Now, the boy's uncle is in custody with police seeking charges.

"Another child shot. Another few hours of temporary outrage. Another opportunity for meaningful reform ignored. How many more times will it take for the outrage to be lasting and meaningful? Someone please let me know. Can we at least get some action on unsafe storage of guns? I have been asking for more than six years now," said Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Detroit police said that Pritchett was in the home drinking and playing video games on another floor of the home when the shooting happened. McDaniel was with a 7-year-old at the time.

An investigation is ongoing.

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