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7-year-old boy injured in suspected drive-by shooting in east Detroit, police say

A 7-year-old boy was hospitalized after a shooting early Monday morning on Detroit's east side, police said.

Around 5 a.m., officers were called to the area of ​​Fairmount Drive and Shakespeare near Kelly Road and State Fair Avenue because shots had been fired, Detroit Police Chief James White said.

“They arrived and found our victim, a 7-year-old, sleeping in his house,” he said. “He was sleeping in the living room of the house. He was apparently struck in the head by a passing car.”

White made the remarks during a press conference near the crime scene.

“The child is in the hospital and his condition is stable,” the police chief said. “He was shot in the head and the bullet is still lodged in his head.”

He said there were 11 people in the house at the time of the shooting, including eight children.

“It was an extremely (cowardly) act to shoot into the home of so many children,” the chief said.

Police are looking for more than one shooter, he said, but that could change as the investigation progresses. He added that investigators have confirmed that at least six shots were fired and struck the house.

White said the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle.

Investigators believe the shooting was related to a conflict between one of the adults in the house and another person, the chief said.

“We are currently looking into this,” he said. “We are also examining all aspects, including whether there is a connection to gangs. We are confident that we will get these people off the streets.”

The child is the youngest victim of gun violence in the area.

“We know that we have seen far too many cases of adults using weapons to resolve conflicts and endangering the lives of children,” White said. “These children have nothing to do with adult conflicts. We have seen this far too many times.”

In July, a 7-year-old Inkster boy was shot in the chest by a 22-year-old man who was holding a gun and the gun went off. The man was charged with several crimes and the boy survived.

Also last month, a 2-year-old boy from Warren shot himself in the stomach with a gun his babysitter had hidden under her pillow.

In June, a three-year-old boy from Eastpointe shot himself in the hand with his father's unsecured gun.

In May, a six-year-old from Detroit shot himself in a home with an unsecured gun. A month earlier, an eight-year-old from Warren shot himself in the head with an unsecured gun.

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@CharlesERamirez

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