12 December 2023 , 17:18
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A five-year-old boy died when he shot himself in the face with a handgun he had found at the family home where he had been left alone with his four siblings.
Victim Sturlin Minion had been bouncing on a bed playing when he turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger on 9th December, killing himself instantly. Sturlin had been left in the home in Detroit, Michigan, with his siblings while one parent visited friends and the other was working on a car repair. Horrified police say he found the gun on a chest of drawers and started playing with it. Sturlin was declared dead at the scene and both his parents were arrested as police investigate the tragic death.
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Detroit Police Chief James White called the parent's decision to leave the boy alone "disgusting" (Detroit Police Department/Newsflash)Detroit Police Chief James White told local media: "Absolutely ridiculous, irresponsible, stupid and unnecessary and I’m sick and tired of it, and we have now a baby dead weeks before Christmas." He added: "He should be excited about getting Christmas toys, and the parents leave a gun unsupervised. When parents are making these types of decisions [the children] don’t have a chance."
Sophia Perryman, Sturlin's grandmother, was in tears as she spoke to the media (FOX 2)Sturlin's four siblings are aged four, eight and two seven-year-old twins. Sophia Perryman, Sturlin's grandmother, told local media: "I used to call him golden because everything about his exterior, hair and everything was gold, he was a beautiful child."
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She claimed her son was at work the day when the shooting happened. She said: "I text my son, every time he always says 'I’m at work,' and he was at work the day that it happened.
Police at the scene (FOX 2)"I was supposed to get them, they called me Friday, I was so busy though. I wish I would have gotten them before I got busy." Police have not revealed what charges the parents could be facing. The investigation is ongoing. Sturlin's family has established a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the boy's funeral.
"We need all the prayers and support we can possibly get in this grievous time," the family wrote on the page. "And it would be truly appreciated if you all can find it in your heart to donate to help put baby Sturlin Minion to rest."
The home has been taped off (FOX 2)The incident with Sturlin is a common problem in Detroit.
The city has seen children getting their hands on unsecured guns time and time again with incidents producing the same results: the kids shooting themselves or a loved one. The epidemic fostered particular groups that strive to keep guns off the street, like Ceasefire Detroit.
Ceasefire Detroit's Quincy Smith says the community needs to be educated (FOX 2)Quincy Smith, the organisation's project manager, said: "So our commitment at Ceasefire, the commitment at the Detroit Health Department, we've got to stand up, we've got to be vocal. We've got to provide resources and we have to continue to educate the community."