Detroit Father Arrested After 4-Year-Old Son Shoots Himself: Police

DETROIT — A Detroit father was arrested Tuesday after his 4-year-old son shot himself, Deputy Chief Arnold Williams told reporters.

The child was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was in stable condition, Williams said.

The incident happened at 10 a.m. at a home on the 18800 block of Russell on the city's east side, Williams said.

Williams said the man was sleeping on a couch inside the home with a gun under his pillow. The boy then grabbed the gun and ended up shooting himself in the right hand, Williams said.

"Right now, one of the biggest issues we have is with parents who have firearms or other family members who may have firearms inside a home and those firearms not being secured," Williams told reporters. "Children think those weapons may be toys, and they're always going to have some curiosity."

Police were still investigating the incident.

Under Michigan's new safety storage laws, a gun owner must lock away their firearms if there is a minor in the house. If a child gets hold of a firearm that wasn't properly secured and uses the gun, the owner can face multiple penalties, including:

• A misdemeanor with a maximum 93-day jail sentence and $500 fine if a child accesses a gun and either possesses or displays it in a public place, or possesses or displays it in front of another person in a “careless, reckless or threatening” way.
• A felony with a maximum five-year prison sentence and $5,000 fine if a child fires the gun and injures themselves or someone else.
• A felony with up to 10 years in prison and up to $7,500 fine if a child seriously injures themselves or someone else.
• A felony with up to 15 years in prison and up to $10,000 fine if the child kills themselves or someone else.