Toddler fatally shoots cousin, 5, while playing with gun

DETROIT (AP) - A 5-year-old boy has been fatally shot by his 18-month-old cousin who got hold of a handgun inside a westside Detroit home.

The toddler was playing with the gun about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when it discharged, striking the older boy in the neck, according to police.

A 27-year-old man was at the home at the time of the shooting and has been arrested. Police said he was father to the 5-year-old and uncle of the toddler. The boys’ grandmother and a 1-year-old girl also were at the home.

The shooting was “completely avoidable,” according to Tiffany Stewart, 10th Police Precinct commander.

“We lost another child in the city of Detroit due to a lack of firearm safety,” Stewart told reporters. “This is why we emphasize gun safety with gun locks and gun boxes so we don’t have circumstances like this.”