Toddler killed and mother injured during tornado in Detroit suburb

LIVONIA, MI — A tornado killed a 2-year-old boy and injured his mother Wednesday when a tree fell on their suburban Detroit home, officials said.

Livonia city officials said in a post on the city’s website that the fast-developing tornado struck several neighborhoods in the city Wednesday afternoon.

A huge tree was uprooted and fell on the family’s home, through the roof and landing on a bed where the woman and her 2-year-old were sleeping, officials said. Crews worked for nearly an hour to remove the roof and parts of the tree, then lifted the tree to free the victims.

The toddler was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. The mother was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

A 2-week-old sibling who was in a crib in a separate room was not injured but was taken to a hospital for evaluation, the Livonia Fire Department chief said. Robert Johnson told WDIV-TV.

“This is a terrible tragedy for our community,” Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan said in the statement. “Our hearts are also broken and we extend our deepest condolences.”