04-05-2025
KDPS: 3-year-old shot herself after finding gun in car
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A 3-year-old is in the hospital after she shot herself Saturday night after finding a gun in a vehicle, police say.
Around 9 p.m., officers with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety were sent to the area of E Vine Street near Portage Street after receiving a report about a child with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and her parents were taking her to the hospital.
Responding officers learned that the 3-year-old girl and her sibling were left alone in a vehicle that was parked outside a home. A firearm that was legally owned by a CPL holder was stored in the center console. While in the vehicle, the girl shot herself.
KDPS said the girl is in critical condition and expected to recover.
No arrests have been made, KDPS said.
The firearm and vehicle are in police custody.
Gun reform legislation takes effect Tuesday
'While we are relieved to hear the child is on the path to recovery, this incident could have ended far worse,' Danielle Guilds, captain of the Criminal Investigations Division, said in a release. 'We urge all firearm owners to take every precaution to ensure their weapons are properly secured and inaccessible to children.'
The case remains under investigation.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
