Boy, 12, killed in accidental shooting

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., March 5 (UPI) -- The shooting death of a 12-year-old boy in Homer, Mich., appears to have been the result of an accident, police say.

Homer Police Chief Steven Fisher said while this week's fatal shooting at the boy's home is being treated as a homicide, initial signs indicate the incident was likely the result of a "tragic" accident, WWMT-TV, Kalamazoo, said Wednesday.

"It appears tragic. We are treating it as a homicide. It's procedure. We've had the autopsy. We're going through all the necessary steps," Fisher said.

Fisher said it appears 41-year-old Kevin Dunn had been cleaning his gun Tuesday afternoon while his son, Ian, was home sick.

During that cleaning, the gun apparently discharged accidentally and shot Ian in the head.

Fisher told WWMT-TV the apparent accidental shooting in the Michigan village should serve as a warning for firearm owners.

"It's a gun safety issue, and we should always treat firearms as if they are loaded," the police chief said.