Child in Detroit gets hold of father's gun, shoots himself in the hand

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A father in Detroit was arrested Tuesday morning after police say his son got hold of his gun and shot himself.

The child is expected to be okay, and police say this is another lesson for parents everywhere. The four-year-old little boy got hold of his father’s gun and shot himself in the hand.  

"He was sleeping on the couch, the father said he had his firearm under his pillow," said Detroit police Deputy Chief Arnold Williams. "Somehow, the child got hold of the firearm and ended up wounding himself in his right hand with the firearm, shooting himself in the right hand."

The child was rushed to the hospital in stable condition while the father was arrested. The incident happened in their house on Russell Street on the east side of Detroit a little before 10 a.m. Tuesday.

"I definitely understand the point of having a firearm in the home, but you have to follow the rules," said neighbor Terrence Bernoudy.

The rules are very simple- if you have children in the house, those guns have to be locked up.

"We tell every parent not only should you make sure your weapon is secure, locked and placed in a position where a child can’t get to it, but if you fail to do so, it’s a crime," said Williams.

That’s why the child’s mother is in the hospital and his father was taken to jail. 

Neighbor Veronica knows the family.

"It’s a nice family. He works, he takes care of the kids, the baby's mama. He picks them up, take the girl to school and he keeps the baby, so it’s something," she said.

"You know I don’t really want to speak on what should happen with the parents because I don’t know the situation or the circumstance," said Bernoudy. "It’s definitely not good."

Child protective services will be brought in to assess the parental situation; but luckily - this time, the child will survive. 

"Why would he leave the gun under the pillow," said Veronica. "That makes you think about something."

Detroit police will present the case to the Wayne County Prosecutors Office.