PONTIAC, Mich. – A 3-year-old has died after an accidental shooting in a Pontiac apartment Tuesday night.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, in a press conference, described the shooting as a completely avoidable tragedy.
Previous coverage –> Oakland County sheriff discusses fatal shooting of 3-year-old boy in Pontiac
“We have a three-year-old child who is deceased from a gunshot wound from a weapon that was in the home,” Bouchard said.
The shooting happened in the 100 block of Maynard Court on Sept. 15.
According to the sheriff’s office, the 3-year-old boy was shot with an unsecured handgun that was inside the home.
The boy was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The circumstances surrounding the boy’s death remain under investigation.
The boy’s father was not at the home when the shooting happened, but Bouchard said the handgun belonged to him.
“Someone will be held accountable for this completely unnecessary tragedy,” Bouchard said.
Bouchard stressed the responsibility that comes with owning a firearm, particularly in a home where children are present.
“If you’re an adult and you own a weapon and you have an eight-month-old, a three-year-old, a seven-year-old and an eight-year-old in the house, by God, use common sense,” Bouchard said. “Keep this weapon out of the hands of this child.”
4 children were living in apartment
Bouchard said the boy’s grandmother and mother were in the apartment at the time. He said the other children, ages 8, 7, and 8 months, were taken into the care of detectives as the investigation continues.
Sheriff urges gun owners to secure firearms
Bouchard said the shooting underscores the importance of properly securing firearms around children.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has provided free gun locks for more than a decade, Bouchard said, and will continue making them available to residents.
“If that’s the only impediment, we have them free here, and we’ll give them to anyone that needs or wants one,” Bouchard said. “Think about your kids. Think about the safety of who comes into the home, even if it’s not your child.”
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