11-Year-Old Shot In Face By Sibling, Detroit Authorities Say

DETROIT — An 11-year-old was shot in the face Wednesday afternoon by a sibling while the children were home alone in Detroit, according to police and media reports.

The incident occurred around 2:20 p.m. in the 8000 block of Artesian Street, Chief Todd Bettison said at a press conference published in full by FOX 2 Detroit. A neighbor heard a gunshot and called emergency personnel, who arrived within minutes and found three children — ages 11, 9 and 4 — home alone, with one of the children shot by another using a handgun, according to Bettison.

The victim was taken to DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital by police, then transferred to Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Bettison said, adding the child had been stabilized but remained in critical condition. Numerous media outlets, including FOX 2, reported that it was the 11-year-old who was shot.

“This is so preventable,” Bettison said, noting all Detroit precinct stations give out free gun locks.

“Time and time again, we’re here, having a press conference about our most precious young people finding a weapon, and we know that children are fascinated with guns because of the video games that they play.”

There were multiple weapons in the house, according to Bettison, who noted that no one was immediately in custody on Wednesday.

“The parents are grieving,” Bettison said. “I can’t even imagine the pain that the father has, that the mother has, that the siblings have. They’re in trauma right now.”