Mother Rushes Shot Fiancee To ER; State Removes 3 Kids She Left Alone With Gun

DETROIT (WWJ) - State welfare officials have removed three young children from their 37-year-old mother after she left them at a crime scene with a gun.

The situation unfolded around noon Thursday inside a home in the 15000 block of Ardmore, in a neighborhood near Fenkell and Hubbell streets on Detroit's northwest side.

According to reports, the woman's two sons -- ages 16 and 19 -- got into an argument with her 37-year-old fiancée. At some point, one of the teens shot the man in the hand with a rifle before both teens took off on foot.

Detroit Police say the woman rushed her fiancée to the hospital, effectively abandoning her three younger children -- all girls, ages 1, 4 and 5.

When police went back to the crime scene to investigate the shooting, they found the girls alone with the gun. Sgt. Michael Woody said the girls were living in "horrible condition" without food or beds. Other officers have described the home as "deplorable," with piles of feces scattered throughout its halls.

"(Police) asked if an adult was home and the 5-year-old said 'No' and told the whole story," Woody told the Detroit News.

Authorities contacted Child Protective Services, which placed the girls in the care of their grandparents. The mother was arrested and could face charges, including child endangerment.

Woody said police are still trying to track down the woman's two sons.

An investigation is ongoing.