Girl, 4, hospitalized after accidental shooting in east Detroit, police say

A 4-year-old girl is recovering after Detroit police say she allegedly shot herself by accident Tuesday on the city's east side.

Workers at Children's Hospital of Michigan alerted officers around 2:55 p.m. that they were treating a child who had been brought there after she reportedly had been struck, said Sgt. Nicole Kirkwood, a spokeswoman for the city police department.

Officers initially were told the girl was wounded at a park near Jefferson and Chene and searched for evidence in the area, Kirkwood said.

"Through further investigation, it was determined that the shooting occurred inside of a residence in the 1900 block of Chene before 3 p.m. and not at the park as originally reported," police said in a late Tuesday statement. "The child allegedly found an unsecured handgun inside the location and accidentally shot herself."

The girl was hospitalized in critical condition but has since been upgraded to stable, police said.

The incident remains under investigation.  

“I want to thank the dedicated Detectives and Evidence Technicians of the Detroit Police Department for their diligent work on this case,” Interim Police Chief James White said in a statement.  

mhicks@detroitnews.com