DETROIT – A 27-year-old man appeared before a judge Friday, Oct. 6, after his 8-year-old son was shot in the head on Detroit’s west side.
Kayvon Barrett was charged with four counts of second-degree child neglect.
Authorities said the 8-year-old found an unsecured handgun in their home and shot himself in the head. He remains in critical condition.
The prosecutor said Barrett had four guns and ammunition accessible. Several guns were recovered by police from the home, including the one they believe shot the boy.
Police said four children -- between the ages of 1-8 -- and four adults were home at the time of the shooting. The adults were reportedly sleeping when the gun went off.
“There’s an allegation in the report that calls to 911 were delayed by 10 mins as the child lay bleeding from his head on the floor because the adults were more concerned with their own problems,” Magistrate Malaika Ramsey-Heath said.
It’s not Barrett’s first run-in with authorities.
“He doesn’t have prior criminal convictions but does have CPS history, and all I could think was ‘These poor kids’ as I read it,” Ramsey-Heath said.
In two visits dating back to 2018, Child Protective Services detailed findings of physical neglect and abuse.
“There are sustained charges of neglect prior and now a child has a gunshot wound to the head, which we hope he will survive,” Ramsey-Heath said.
Kayvon was given a $100,000 cash bond with a GPS tether and house arrest. He is expected to return to court for his probable cause conference Oct. 20.
