18-month-old accidentally shoots, kills 5-year-old, Michigan police say

A 5-year-old is dead after a toddler got hold of a gun in Detroit, officials say.

Police were called to a home around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday where a child was said to have shot another child, Detroit police Cmdr. Tiffany Stewart said during a news conference.

When officials arrived, they discovered a 5-year-old who had been shot in the neck, she said. The child received medical attention but later died at a hospital.

Police soon learned that an 18-month-old had gotten hold of the gun — a Glock — and “started playing with it” before accidentally shooting the 5-year-old, Stewart said, adding that the gun was “accessible” in the home.

She called Wednesday a sad day for Detroit.

“We lost anther child in the city due to lack of firearm safety,” she said. “This was completely avoidable.”

Police did not say whether the children were related but said “the father” was detained for additional questioning.

“This is why we emphasize gun safety,” Stewart said. “Gun locks and lock boxes. So that we don’t have circumstances like this.”

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.