3-Year-Old Boy Shot; Father Arrested

Police say that a 3-year-old boy was wounded after shooting himself in Detroit, and that his father was charged.

The parents of the boy rushed him to a hospital on Tuesday, The Associated Press reported, adding that he’s being treated for stomach wounds.

Police spokeswoman Holly Lowe told AP that the father of the child was arrested. Prosecutors are reviewing charges against both parents.

The boy, Lowe said, was apparently playing with the gun when it discharged. Parents told officials that the shot came from outside the home, but investigators determined that the boy shot himself.

WDIV-TV reported that the boy was listed in critical condition earlier this week.

“He’s currently at Children’s Hospital fighting for his life,” a police commander, Charles Mahone, told the station. “We would like our community to pray for this young man.”

Other details about the case were not revealed in media reports.

“My nephew he came over I was asleep,” Loretta Ester, a relative, told Fox2 Detroit. “He woke me up and he needed to use the truck to take the baby to the emergency.”

Ester said the nephew ran through a field to get to her home with the 3-year-old in his arms.

“It was chaotic, I couldn’t function,” she said. “I didn’t get a chance to ask him questions because he was in a hurry to get the baby to the hospital.”

“After I heard the tragedy of what happened, I prayed and that calms you down a little bit,” Ester added. “I’m hoping that everything turns out fine,” she said.

It’s not clear if the gun was stored before the shooting.

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