(WXYZ) — Neighbors and police are trying to make sense of a rash of violence against children in metro Detroit. In the past week alone, five kids have been shot and two have died.
The latest happened Tuesday at a home on Rochelle near Hayes and Kelly on Detroit's east side. Police said a 12-year-old somehow got ahold of a gun and accidentally shot himself.
Late last week, 2-year-old Brison Christian was shot and killed while riding in his family's truck. Now, police believe the shooters thought the vehicle belonged to someone else.
The latest shooting was the fifth time in a week at Detroit family has been faced with the unthinkable, losing a child to gun violence.
Detroit police say three kids were inside, two 12-year-old twins and a 13-year-old. It's believed one of them found a gun, it discharged and killed one of the twins.
"I thought it may have been fireworks or something like that. but after that I saw all the police cars and I knew something bad had happened," Neighbor Gerald USsery said.
Just a few days prior, 2-year-old Brison was killed on the way home from his brother's baseball practice. He was riding in his family's truck on I-75, and now, two men face charges in the shooting.
Investigators believe it may have been a case of mistaken identity.
The toddler is now the inspiration behind a new DPD effort to curb road rage incidents and other violence on the freeway.
DPD will team up with neighboring police agencies which freeways run through to provide more patrols.
Meanwhile, police are urging people to take a simple and free step to protect their children at home by getting a gun lock.
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