DETROIT, MI — A 5-year-old girl was shot in the chest Saturday night at a Detroit home after she had finished trick-or-treating, police said. Detroit police said the child was taken to Children’s Hospital of Michigan and was in stable condition as investigators worked to determine who fired into the house.

The Facts

• What: A 5-year-old girl was shot in the chest after gunfire entered a home.
• Where: A house on Iroquois Street near Moffat Avenue in Detroit.
• When: Saturday night around 9 p.m. on Halloween.
• Who: The victim is a 5-year-old girl; Detroit police are investigating.
• Charges: No charges had been announced late Saturday night.
• Status: The child was reported in stable condition and no one was in custody.

What police say

Detroit police said officers were called to Children’s Hospital of Michigan after the girl arrived with a gunshot wound to the chest. After speaking with her parents, officers went to the home on Iroquois Street near Moffat Avenue and found a scene consistent with a shooting, police said.

Investigators believe shots were fired into the home while the child was playing in a back room after returning from trick-or-treating. Deputy Chief Arnold Williams said the girl had been in her Halloween costume when she was hit.

Williams told reporters outside the hospital that the shooting happened while children were out enjoying Halloween and called the gunfire senseless. He also said the child had to call out to her mother after being struck.

“For our victim, she was in her Halloween costume at the time she got shot,” Deputy Chief Arnold Williams said.

Police said the girl’s mother was in the shower when the child realized she had been shot and called for help. The mother then rushed her daughter to the hospital, according to Williams.

The investigation

Detroit police said the shooting remains under investigation, including what led up to it. Detectives are trying to determine who fired the shots and whether anyone targeted the home or the neighborhood for any reason.

No suspect was in custody late Saturday. Police have not publicly identified a shooter or said whether they recovered a weapon. In cases like this, investigators typically rely on witness statements, neighborhood video, forensic work at the scene, and any physical evidence that can link a suspect to the gunfire.

Police asked anyone with information to contact the Detroit Police Department’s 7th Precinct and ask for the detective unit. Tips can also be shared with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP.

What the charges mean

Because no arrest had been announced, there were no formal charges yet in this case. If detectives identify a suspect, prosecutors could review the evidence and decide what criminal counts fit the facts, based on the shooting and any proof of intent or recklessness.

In a case involving a child and gunfire into a home, possible charges in general can range from assault-related offenses to more serious firearms crimes, depending on what investigators can prove. The exact charges depend on witness accounts, ballistics, scene evidence, and any statement from a suspect.

Once a suspect is charged, the case would move through arraignment and later court hearings. At that point, a judge would consider bond, probable cause, and the next dates in the criminal process.

What happens next

Police said detectives are continuing to work the shooting and are still looking for the person responsible. The next developments are likely to come from the investigation, any arrest, and any charging decision by prosecutors.

For now, authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward while the child recovers in the hospital.

Have information on a crime? Contact local police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).