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8-year-old hospitalized after shooting self in head
"This kid seemed to know where that gun was. I don't think he found it by accident. I think he knew exactly where it was," said Warren Sgt. Gregory Booten.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - An 8-year-old accidentally shot himself in the head in Warren Friday afternoon. He was rushed to a hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
The incident occurred after 3 p.m. inside the Cove 10 Apartment Complex, on the third floor of the building. Investigators say both parents and two other children were home when the shooting took place.
"So far, it appears that the child may have found a handgun in the residence and shot himself in the head area. Both of the child’s parents were home at the time of this unfortunate incident," Warren police said in a statement. "Investigators will be examining whether the handgun was safely and securely stored."
According to police, officers and the fire department worked to usher the child to an area hospital, where he was "responsive to pain stimuli" and had to undergo surgery.
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8-year-old boy shot in the head inside Warren apartment
Warren police are at the scene where an 8-year-old boy shot himself with an unsecured gun Friday.
Sgt. Gregory Booten said the accidental shooting is a tragedy that happens all too often.
"I would just ask if you keep a firearm at home, please lock it up, secure it, keep it away from your children," he said. "This kid seemed to know where that gun was. I don't think he found it by accident, I think he knew exactly where it was."
The child's uncle, Lamarr, was one of a large contingent of relatives and loved ones gathered outside the apartment at the time of the incident.
"(The 8-year-old is) my little nephew, and he's funny, he's wild," Lamarr said. "And I don't know what to say man – this is terrible. This is really terrible. It is all going to hurt the family, everybody."
When a child inflicts harm upon themselves or others using an unsecured firearm, the owner of the gun can face a felony charge, fines of up to $10,000, and a prison sentence up to 15 years – particularly if the incident results in a fatality.
Photo by Hilary Golston/ FOX 2
"We keep hearing about this all the time, and we keep saying this won’t happen to us," Lamarr said. "We gotta do better."
Free gun locks were recently made widely available in every Michigan health department office, as part of a state-funded partnership to prevent further unsecured gun violence in homes.
The incident remains under investigation.
Related:
- Michigan's safe storage gun law begins Feb. 13: What to know
- Free gun locks now available at every Michigan health department office