Young girl finds gun under pillow in Detroit, kills self

DETROIT – Police say a young Detroit girl who found a gun under her grandmother’s pillow accidentally shot herself and died.

Police say the girl was 4 years old, but relatives at the scene said Mariah Davis was 5.

Sgt. Michael Woody says officers responded to the home around midnight Tuesday. The girl’s grandparents were elsewhere in the house at the time of the shooting. Two other children weren’t injured.

Assistant Police Chief Steve Dolunt says guns should be unloaded or secured with a child lock. He says Mariah’s death is “sad and tragic” and could have been prevented.

Police Cmdr. Jacqueline Pritchett says charges are possible. She says she felt “sick” in her heart when she got the call.