DETROIT, Mich. (WFLA) — A 6-year-old boy shot his infant brother twice after getting his hands on an unsecured handgun on Wednesday, according to Detroit police.
Police were called to a home on the city’s east side at 7:42 p.m. Officers learned a 6-year-old boy shot his 1-year-old brother, who was sitting in a baby bouncer, according to a report from NBC affiliate WDIV.
Detroit police said the child used an unsecured, fully-loaded handgun to shoot the 1-year-old in the cheek and left shoulder. The boy was rushed to the hospital, where he remained on Thursday.
Police said the boys’ father was in their backyard at the time of the shooting, while their mother was reportedly visiting a friend. No charges have been filed as of Thursday morning, but WDIV reported that investigators were working to get a search warrant for the home.
A Detroit Police Department spokesperson called the shooting “preventable,” and urged gun owners to store their weapons responsibly, especially when there are children in the home.
“We’re here far too often talking about securing your weapons,” Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald said in a news conference Wednesday. “There are gun locks, there are gun safes, there are the highest shelves you can find in your house. Put the gun up as high as you possibly can.”
