8-year-old girl shot, killed at home on Detroit's west side

Andrea May Sahouri, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
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An 8-year-old girl fatally shot in the neck and shoulder Tuesday was among the latest victims of gun violence in the city.

Police responded to the shooting in the city's west side, in the 8800 block of Heyden Avenue, just before noon. Preliminary evidence suggested the girl and a 10-year-old boy were by themselves at home with an unsecure weapon, according to Detroit Police Chief James White.

Police were still investigating the circumstances surrounding the girl's death, including whether she accidentally shot herself or whether the 10-year-old boy was handling the gun. The 8-year-old was taken to a nearby fire station, where emergency personnel attempted to stabilize the child before she was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead.

"We've got to get tired of this," White said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon. "There's no words I can say. You've heard me say all of the words that I can say about this. This is tragic. I've got an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old in a house with an unsecure weapon. I've got kids that should be in school."

The 10-year-old boy will also be receiving medical attention. White said his officers found conditions inside the home "that are quite concerning," and child abuse investigators were on the scene.

"Nothing too severe, but we just want to make sure. He's still a child, despite what he's potentially involved in," White said.

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Police will be requesting a search warrant into the home to retrieve the gun they believe was used in the incident.

White emphasized responsible gun ownership during the news conference.

"We're talking about an 8-year-old child. An 8-year-old child that won't get a chance to be a news reporter, police chief, or anyone else because of a tragic circumstance involving adults who didn't think enough to secure a weapon and leave two kids at home with it. Just awful," he said. "If you're going to have a gun in your home, you need to have responsibility with the gun. Period.

"This needs to be the last one."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 8-year-old girl fatally shot at home on Detroit's west side