Gun safety advocates plea for responsibility after accidental shooting in Detroit
(CBS DETROIT) — A 4-year-old boy in Detroit is lucky to be alive after police say he accidentally shot himself in the hand Friday afternoon.
Authorities say the boy got a hold of an unsecured gun inside of his families home on Fullerton Avenue on the city's west side.
The shooting, while shocking, is something that unfortunately happens more frequently than expected. That's why Michigan now has legislation to dissuade gun owners from ever letting their children gain access to their guns.
A Michigan law that went into effect in February 2024 requires firearm owners to keep any unattended weapons unloaded and locked or stored away in a gun safe if a child is in the home.
"You cannot just take your firearm and put it somewhere hidden. It has to be safe," said Konstantine Prapas, lead firearms instructor at Double Action Indoor Shooting Center & Gun Shop. "So, you can either do that with a lockbox or you can put a cable lock on it. But it has to be in a situation where a child cannot get to it and operate it. It has to be locked away and you are now considered responsible for it and if the child gets to it, it's your responsibility to be safe and keep it away from this child and not let a tragic accident happen."
According to the nonprofit organization Brady: United Against Gun Violence, there are, on average, 350 unintentional shootings each year in America when a child pulls the trigger of their parents' unsecured gun, and almost every case is preventable.
"If they have a firearm, which they're allowed to have, if they're allowed to have one, it needs to be secured," said Captain Michael Dicicco with the Detroit Police Department. "It can't just be out, and especially down in an area that a small child or anybody can get to. It's a gun owner or gun possessor's responsibility to secure that gun and make sure that no one hurts themselves just like this situation."
The boy is expected to recover.
Detroit police are now seeking a warrant to search the home. It's unknown if charges will be filed.