Warren man and 11-year-old son recovering after accident while cleaning a handgun

Father and son shot while cleaning gun in Warren

The incident happened on Berkshire Avenue at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday. Police say the man ended up getting shot in the hand and the bullet hit the 11-year-old boy's leg. Both were hospitalized and are expected to be okay. The gun was a .380 semi-automatic handgun which police say was legally owned by the man's sister, who was having him clean it.

WARREN, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 37-year-old man and his son are in the hospital after an accident while attempting to clean a handgun in Warren.

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Officials would not confirm with FOX 2 if he was actively showing his son how to clean it or what his involvement might have been aside from getting hit in the leg.

Meanwhile, police say this accident is a reminder of a different aspect of gun safety.

"It sounds like the injuries could’ve been worse, but I’d imagine, probably, a scary situation," said Warren Police Lt. John Gajewski. "Sure, it’s scary anytime a handgun goes off. It has the potential to cause death, so I think everybody’s fortunate it didn’t turn out worse. Obviously, there was still some sort of round in the chamber and somehow during that process the trigger ended up getting depressed. That’s how guns work. So, when this happens, it’s usually one of the symptoms where somebody thinks the gun is unloaded and directly or indirectly presses the trigger and is surprised when the gun goes off."

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No charges have been issued as of Thursday afternoon.