Boston police cite 'troubling' uptick of juveniles carrying guns, recover 15 firearms in last week
Boston police's Youth Violence Strike Force sees disturbing trend ahead of summer months
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Boston Police Department is warning of a "troubling" uptick of juveniles carrying illegal firearms after officers recovered 15 guns from the streets over the past week alone.
The disturbing trend was emphasized by one incident in which police said a 13-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy each brought loaded 9 mm Glock handguns into Charlestown High School on Thursday.
Boston police released a photo of a gun recovered after two juvenile males were arrested following a shots fired call in Mattapan. (Boston Police Department)
"We’re seeing a troubling theme of a lot of juveniles carrying firearms," Boston Police Sgt. Detective John Boyle told the Boston Herald on Sunday. "As we enter the summer months, we’re definitely seeing an increase in juveniles carrying firearms."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Including the high school incident, the Boston police’s Youth Violence Strike Force has recovered 15 illegal guns in recent days during separate incidents. Just this weekend, officers responded at about 10:01 p.m. Saturday to a shots fired call in the area of 10 Middleton Street in Mattapan and made an on-site firearm arrest of a 15-year-old juvenile of Dorchester and a 14-year-old of Boston.
Boston police's Youth Violence Strike Force arrested a male on firearm charges following a call for a person shot on Saturday evening. (Boston Police Department)
Dispatch received reports of a male and a scooter lying on the ground on Middleton Street. The teens were seen fleeing into a yard and were located on a nearby porch.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Both juveniles are to be arraigned in Dorchester Juvenile Court on charges of Trespassing, Unlawful Possession of a firearm, Discharge of a Firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, Unlawful Possession of ammunition, and Possession of a large capacity feeding device.
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About five hours earlier, officers on patrol in the area of Washington Street and Dudley Street responded to a call of a person shot and observed a male on a blue city bike fleeing from the direction of the gunshots. They stopped 20-year-old Joshua Bajon, and subsequent pat-frisk revealed he was in possession of a loaded firearm, determined to be a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber with one round in the chamber and nine rounds in the magazine.