11-year old boy threatens woman with gun on train in Oregon

A group of young teens got onto a metro train in Portland, Oregon. They bumped a baby stroller, which sparked an argument between the baby's mother and the teens.

That's when one boy, age 11, flashed a loaded .22-caliber handgun at her. Police were called.

From the article:

A group of teenagers had boarded the train at the Skidmore Fountain station and bumped into the stroller about 8:20 p.m., said Sgt. Pete Simpson, a spokesman for the Portland Police Bureau. The woman said something to the group, which sparked an argument.

The 11-year-old then walked up to the woman, Simpson said.

"The kid lifts up his shirt and there's a gun," he said.

He started to pull the gun out of the waistband of his pants and the woman backed off and called 9-1-1. She pointed out the suspect to officers when the train stopped at the Old Town/Chinatown platform, Simpson said.

Officers took the 11-year-old into custody after finding a loaded .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his waistband. They also arrested a 13-year-old boy who had a BB gun in his backpack.

"I'm blown away," Simpson said. "I'm a cop for 18 years and I've never heard of an 11-year-old with a gun."

The 13-year-old was taken to Janus Youth Program. Officers obtained a court order to lodge the 11-year-old in the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Home.

Police said they do not know yet how the child obtained the gun.

Transit Police Cmdr. Mike Crebs said his officers alerted the police bureau’s Gun Task Force to help determine how the 11-year-old got access to it.

“We’re going to look at every angle to find out how this child ended up with a loaded gun in his waistband,’’ Crebs said. “That’s not something we take lightly.’’

Penny Okamoto, executive director of Ceasefire Oregon, said whoever provided the child with the firearm or allowed him access to it should be held liable. A city ordinance adopted in December 2010 makes it a city crime to endanger a child by allowing access to a firearm. An adult would be guilty of the crime if he or she failed to prevent access to a firearm, whether loaded or unloaded, to a child without permission, or the permission of a parent or guardian. It would not apply if a child obtained a gun through illegal entry to a home, or if the gun was locked away, secured or inoperable.

In a sad irony, the boy's own sister, 14-year old Yashanee Vaughn, was shot in the head and killed, last March, by her 16-year old boyfriend, 14-year-old Parrish Bennette.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.