3-year-old boy shoots self in the face with unsecured gun on Detroit's east side

DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit police are at the scene of a shooting where a 3-year-old boy was wounded on the city's east side Friday.

The incident took place at 4:20 p.m. in the 11000 block of block of St. Patrick Street. The child's injury appears to be a graze wound but he is in critical condition.

Detroit Police Chief James White said the boy's mother had set the gun on a dresser where the child found it and shot himself accidentally.

"It's being described to me as a graze wound, but I don't want to commit to that, because the child is in critical condition," White said. "It could be critical because of age, but that's a very serious classification of injury. We'll just have to wait and see and keep the kid in our prayers."

White said that there is a storage lock box in the home, but it was not used as the shooting took place in a matter of minutes. 

"The mother arrived home from work, walked into the home (which had) eight other people in it, five children and three adults," White said. "She walks in from work, she places her gun on the dresser. Minutes after she does so, the 3-year-old gets possession of the weapon and apparently shoots himself in the face."

White said it is another case of a child injuring themselves because an adult didn't lock up their gun.

"It shouldn't have happened, it didn't have to happen," he said. "If you're going to have a gun, have responsibility and lock it up."

Stay with FOX 2 for more information as it becomes available.