DETROIT – A grandmother has been charged after her 8-year-old grandson found a gun inside a Detroit home and shot his 5-year-old brother, officials said.
Detroit police officers were called at 2:28 p.m. Feb. 17 to a home in the 13500 block of Rosemont Avenue, according to authorities.
ORIGINAL STORY: 5-year-old child shot with gun found under bed in Detroit home, chief says
When they arrived, police said they saw a 5-year-old child on the kitchen floor, and Itterlee McNeil, 68, of Detroit, applying pressure to his chest.
Medical officials took the child to a nearby hospital for treatment. His injuries were not life-threatening, they said.
Officials said McNeil’s 8-year-old grandson picked up an “unsecured handgun” that he found inside the home and shot his brother in the right shoulder.
“We can’t tiptoe around this,” Detroit police Chief James White said. “There are no nice words to put on this. People have to be responsible with these guns. They have to care. They have to care about these babies.
“If you’re going to own a gun -- which everybody doesn’t need to -- but if you’ve got to own a gun, you’ve got to do so responsibly.”
McNeil has been charged with two counts of second-degree child abuse.
She was arraigned Monday (Feb. 28) at 36th District Court and given a $10,000 bond.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. March 10, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. March 17.
“The bottom line, at this point, is a child got ahold of a weapon, and we have yet another child in our city that has been shot by irresponsible gun ownership and the irresponsible actions of an adult,” White said.
