Todd injured by loose gun in Detroit home
Police chief announces new safety forums after a 2-year-old boy was shot while his mother cooked breakfast.
By Lauren Bello ·
A 2-year-old boy is in critical condition at a Detroit hospital after an unsecured handgun discharged inside a West Side home on Tuesday morning. The incident has prompted city leaders to push for stricter storage habits among residents who keep firearms in their residences.
Detroit Police received a call at 8:11 a.m. to a home on Evergreen Road. Officers found the mother in the kitchen preparing food when she heard a loud pop. The 2-year-old was struck by the projectile. A 4-year-old sibling nearby was not injured. The father was at the hospital with the child during the chief's morning briefing.
The firearm was registered to the mother. Chief Todd Bettison noted she did not hold a concealed pistol license. He explained that the license is not required for a weapon kept inside the home. Police are still investigating how the child accessed the gun.
Bettison stated that the department will host a series of community safety forums. These events will teach residents how to store weapons safely. He noted that gun locks are already available for free at many locations, including the Sixth Precinct office that serves the Evergreen Road neighborhood.
The chief addressed common misconceptions about storage. He said people often believe a gun is secure if it sits in a purse or on a shelf. He warned that this is not always true because the weapon can still trigger and fire without intent. "I can't police inside your house," he said.
Michigan state law requires owners to keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked, or in a locked container, if a minor is likely to be present. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services maintains a map of gun lock distribution sites. Police have not yet determined exactly how the 2-year-old obtained the weapon.
