Detroit father of baby injured in accidental shooting claims gun was secure

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The father of a baby who was shot twice by his cousin Wednesday night in Detroit claims that the weapon was secured at the time.

Mandell Berryman's 1-year-old son is expected to survive after he was accidentally shot twice Wednesday night. But he says his weapon was secure. 

"It was in a safe, it was properly put up, and unfortunately the kid found it and made the shot," Berryman said. "[I'm] hurt because there is nothing else we can say."

His 1-year-old is expected to survive. Wednesday's case serves as another example of children being injured by accidental shootings.

The shooting took place on Wednesday around 7:40 p.m. on Tennessee Street in the Jefferson Chalmers area.

The child has successfully undergone surgery and is now in stable condition.

"We are very, very fortunate that child is still with us," DPD's Assistant Chief Charles Fitzgerald said.

Officials report that the mother of the baby was visiting a friend down the street, while the father was outside in the backyard when the shooting took place.

In April of this year, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a new gun safety bill that mandates gun owners to secure their weapons if they have a minor in their home or if they own a gun. 

This measure is aimed at promoting responsible gun ownership and protecting children from accidental shootings. 

"That gun owner has the responsibility, in my view, to safely secure that gun. This is not a Second Amendment issue, this is not a partisan issue. It's simply an issue of keeping our children safe," said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. "It is something I've been working on for eight years. It's just infuriating."