Person of interest in custody after stray bullet hits 5-year-old in Detroit

A person of interest is in custody after a 5-year-old boy was struck by a stray bullet while riding his bicycle outside his Detroit home — and the child has since been released from the hospital and is expected to recover.

The boy, identified by his family as Kaizer, was hit Tuesday evening on Lindsay Street near Trojan Avenue, next to Fargo-Oakfield Park on Detroit’s west side. His father said Kaizer was riding his bicycle near the driveway and sidewalk in front of their home when gunfire erupted.

“He just fell on the ground out of nowhere,” the father said.

At first, Kaizer thought he had been struck by a firework.

“He was screaming, ‘A firecracker hit me,'” his father said. “I couldn’t tell what happened at first. Then I saw blood running down his arm. I ripped my shirt off and tried to keep him calm.”

The father rushed his son to a nearby hospital, where Kaizer was treated and later released Wednesday afternoon.

During a Tuesday night news conference, Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said investigators believed the shooter was a masked teenager and described Kaizer as an innocent bystander caught in a senseless act of violence.

Sources said Detroit police took that teenager into custody Wednesday afternoon. Investigators are continuing to search for at least one additional suspect.

Detroit police have not yet released additional details about the suspects or potential charges as the investigation remains ongoing.

Kaizer’s father said he believes his son’s survival is a miracle.

“I know God was watching over him,” he said. “I just can’t believe somebody would bring a gun to a park where innocent children are playing.”