14-year old Michigan boy stole gun from vehicle intending to give to other teens

A 14-year old Traverse City, Michigan boy was found by his father to have stolen a handgun from a vehicle, intending to deliver it to another 14-year old boy and a 16-year old boy.

The gun owner did not realize the gun was missing until police told him.  It was not reported why the gun owner had left the gun in an unlocked and unoccupied car, or why he didn't realize it was missing.

From an article:

The investigation involves two 14-year-old Traverse City males and one 16-year-old male, Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Department Capt. Dave Meachum said. 

A Sheriff’s Department detective located the gun, a .40 caliber semiautomatic, at about noon Monday in Traverse City. 

“We’re pleased to get (the gun) buttoned up in the Sheriff’s Department basement and off the street,” Meachum said. 

Law enforcement first learned about the crime after one of the teen’s fathers reported Facebook posts about the stolen firearm. 

One of the 14-year-olds told investigators he took the pistol from the vehicle about two weeks ago. He intended to give the gun to the other teens, Meachum said. 

The registered owner of the pistol did not realize the firearm was gone until investigators contacted him.

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

16-year old Florida boy unintentionally shoots self to death with stolen gun

Yaredh Gautier, age 16

A 16-year old boy, Yaredh Gautier, was in a library in Orange City, Florida, with friends when he pulled out a .38-caliber Special to show it off.  He then unintentionally shot himself in the head, through the eye, later dying from his wound.

The gun had been reported stolen ten years ago.  How the boy got the gun, no one knows, but according to the video, friends may have indicated that Yaredh had recently found the gun.

From an article:

Officials said 16-year-old Yardeh Gautier accidentally shot in himself in the eye while looking at a gun inside an Orange City library. 

He was rushed to Halifax Health Medical Center. Officials say Gautier died Friday afternoon.  

Police said the University High School student was showing off a gun to a pair of friends inside the Dickinson Memorial Library off U.S. 17-92 in Orange City when it went off about 4 p.m. 

Detectives said Gautier found the .38 Special Wednesday. The gun was stolen in a burglary in Deltona 10 years ago. 

"He took the gun out, showing it, and it discharged," said Orange City police Detective Ken Jones. 

Friends described him as fun, outgoing and mild-mannered. 

It's still unclear whether Gautier had the gun at school although he was at the library within a half hour of dismissal. 

School officials say they have no information about him bragging about it, waving it around or showing it at school.

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

14-year old Indiana boy brought stolen gun onto school bus

A 14-year old boy with gangster ties, in Portage, Indiana, was witnessed with a handgun on a school bus. The gun had been stolen from an 18-year old boy.

Another boy, age 12, had also been witnessed on the bus with a BB gun.

From an article:

The boy, who earlier in the week had been suspended from school and arrested on a possession of marijuana charge, is facing charges of dangerous possession of a firearm, a misdemeanor, and criminal gang activity, a felony.

According to police, School Resource Officer Greg Coleman received information Monday from a student that the student saw two other students on the school bus the previous week with handguns. During his investigation, Coleman contacted one of the students, a 12-year-old, who admitted possessing a BB gun last week at school. The student led Coleman to the BB gun, which he had hidden outside of his home. He was expelled from school.

The student then told Coleman that a second student had a real handgun.

On Wednesday that student was identified and Coleman made contact with the 14-year-old boy's mother, who gave Coleman and fellow School Resource Officer Mike Candiano permission to search her home. Officers located a handgun between the mattresses of the boy's bed.

The boy was brought by his mother to police for questioning and allegedly told police he had stolen the handgun two weeks ago from an 18-year-old friend in Gary. The boy also allegedly told police he was actively involved with the Gangster Disciples and their gang activity. He was arrested and transported to the juvenile detention center.

Note that the boy who brought the real gun onto school property is charged only with a misdemeanor for that offense, but a felony for having gang association.

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

16-year old Oregon boy fires gun in public park

A fight took place among youths in Springfield, Oregon, at Meadow Park.  That's when one boy pulled out a stolen handgun and fired shots.  Luckily no one was injured.

The boy was arrested.

From an article:

A 16-year-old boy faces charges alleging he fired several shots from a stolen gun during a fight on Monday afternoon in Springfield’s Meadow Park. 

Springfield police were called to investigate the incident just after 3:30 p.m. Monday. As many as 10 people from two separate groups may have been involved in the incident, police Sgt. David Lewis said. 

No one was struck by any gunfire, and no property damage was reported, Lewis said.

The article doesn't say how or where the gun was stolen.

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

17-year old Washington girl steals 21 guns from father and trades for truck

A 17-year old girl in Medical Lake, Washington, stole 21 guns, including at least one assault rifle, from her father's home and swapped it with two young men for a truck.

From an article:

"She brings an adult male, obviously somebody she knows, into her residence and takes her father's weapons. Multiple weapons from the residence," Chamberlin said. 

Detectives developed information that the guns had been delivered to 21-year-old Bradley Kelly and that the teen daughter of the victim had been promised a vehicle if she gave Kelly guns. 

They pulled over Kelly Wednesday afternoon and found a Keltec pistol in a tool box and a loaded AK-47 stashed in a sling underneath the bed of the truck. Both weapons had been stolen from the Medical Lake home on Sept. 29. 

"It's a start; we have recovered some of the weapons but like I said we still have several more we need to account for and we need to find," Chamberlin said. 

In a search for the stolen guns the Spokane County SWAT Team served search warrants at homes near the 1000 block of East Ladd Road, 300 block of East Fellows Road and the 1000 block of North Dover Road. 

The owner of the guns said he'd gladly part with all of them as long as the weapons don't end up being used against innocent people. His daughter has not been charged in the case.

According to a related article, she may have also been trying to sell some of the stolen guns to other kids.

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

11-year old Colorado boy shoots self to death with brother's stolen gun

Andres Limas, age 11

18-year old Jordan Limas had recently stolen a .22-caliber handgun.  He had placed the unlocked, loaded gun on a table when his 11-year old brother, Andres Limas, walked in and grabbed it, thinking it was a toy.  He was headed out of the room toward other kids when Jordan tried to get the gun out of Andres' hands.  The gun went off, striking the boy in the chest.  Andres died from his wound.

Though Jordan confessed to stealing the gun, it had not been reported stolen.

From an article:

The report released Monday states that Jordan Limas, 18, told Weld County Sheriff’s deputies that he left the loaded gun on a dining room table. Limas said he saw that his brother, Andre Limas, a sixth-grader at John Evans Middle School, was headed outside with the gun, where other children were standing. 

He told police that Andre said “Ya, right,” when he told he told him the gun wasn’t a toy. Limas told deputies he struggled with his brother to get the gun, and it went off when he had it in his hand. He said he heard Andre say “Jord, Jord, it hurts” before he collapsed, according to the report. He said he held Andre and took him outside while screaming for his girlfriend to call 911. 

Limas said his grandfather arrived at the house and took Andre back inside, where sheriff’s deputies found the boy. 

Deputies found no vital signs and performed CPR on Andre. He was taken to North Colorado Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead that evening. 

Tim Schwartz, spokesman for the Weld County Sheriff’s Office, said Limas was taken into custody for questioning after the shooting and was later booked into jail on suspicion of criminally negligent homicide, a felony. 

Limas was released Sunday on $30,000 bond, and the Weld District Attorney’s Office will determine whether to pursue the charge. Schwartz said while Limas said he stole the .22-caliber, semi-automatic handgun, it has not been reported stolen.

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

13-year old Florida boy accidentally fires stolen gun

A 13-year old boy in Riviera Beach, Florida, accidentally fired a gun that had dropped from his waistband.  It was found that the gun had been stolen last November.

From an article:

The gun had been reported stolen last November in St. Lucie County, police said.

Police responded to a call that shots were fired in the 900 block of North 23rd St. and found the 13-year-old matching the description of the shooting suspect.

The police report said the boy appeared to be hiding something in his waistband and tried giving the gun to another person. That is when the gun dropped and fired a single shot.

No one was injured in the incident.

Police have charged the 13 year-old with carrying a concealed firearm, grand theft and illegal possession of a firearm by a juvenile.

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15-year old Florida boy unintentionally shot with stolen gun

Ryan Greenlee, age 15

15-year old Ryan Greenlee was with another juvenile at a home in Clearwater, Florida, when he was unintentionally shot with a loaded gun that had apparently been stolen from an unlocked car.

From an article:

Police say 15-year-old Ryan Greenlee, and another juvenile were handling a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun when the gun went off, striking Greenlee. 

Officers say the gun was stolen from an unlocked vehicle between 2 p.m. on Aug. 1 and 11 a.m. on Aug. 2 in the 1200 block of Highland Avenue. 

Detectives have confirmed that the gun was brought to the home by one of the juveniles and the adults in the home at the time of the shooting had no knowledge or involvement with the weapon.

According to another article and video, he was shot in the face, by a 14-year old teen girl who claimed she didn't know the gun was loaded.  Ryan is an award-winning skateboarder with a corporate sponsor.

Neighbors say the shooter is a teenage girl. Michael Kefer says he spoke to the girl's brother and describes the bullet wound.

"He said it went through the mouth," Kefer says.

Police say the victim is 15-year-old Ryan Greenlee. They've identified the weapon as a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun.

"I heard there was an argument or something. Ryan got up out of the room and left. She went back to another room, got the gun, pointed at him said she was 'tired of his bulls***' and pulled the trigger," says Boyd.

Boyd tells us this is typically a quiet neighborhood... except for the house where the shooting happened.

"Their mom is barely home. They throw parties, smoke, drink."

Boyd adds, "They say it was suppose to be a prank, but she didn't know it was loaded."

But she doesn't believe the shooting was accidental. "No, not for one minute. Why do that anyway, pull a gun on somebody? Why play with a loaded gun? Why did she point it at somebody? The bullet passed his mouth."

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

UPDATE (9/7/12):  According to a follow-up article, the shooter was 13-year old Taylor Alexa Compton.  From the article:

Clearwater police say Taylor Alexa Compton and other juveniles, who were playing with a gun they had stolen, did not know it was loaded when she intended to scare Ryan Greenlee but shot him accidentally on Aug. 2. 

The shooting occurred at 1344 Browning St. Greenlee, who did not live at the residence, suffered critical injuries, police said. 

The Smith & Wesson 9 mm handgun had been stolen from an unlocked vehicle in the 1200 block of Highland Avenue, police said. Detectives said Compton and Justin Tyler Hemphill, 15, were responsible for the armed vehicle burglary as well as other vehicle burglaries. 

Compton and Hemphill are charged with armed burglary (vehicle), grand theft of a firearm and dealing in stolen property - all felonies. 

Police said the adults in the home had no knowledge of the gun or involvement in the shooting.

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Two North Dakota boys, ages 13 and 14, caught after stealing gun from car

A mother caught her son with a gun that he and his friend had stolen from an unlocked car, in Bismarck, North Dakota, and turned them in.  The boys are ages 13 and 14.

From an article:

Officer Pat Renz said a Bismarck woman brought a handgun to the police department at 8:21 p.m. Tuesday, saying she found it in her 13-year-old son’s dresser. The boy told officers he and a 14-year-old boy were walking in the area of North 15th Street and East Avenue F and saw the gun in a center console of a vehicle. The car was unlocked, they said, and they took the gun.

The boys contradicted each other about who actually took the gun, with both claiming to be a lookout while the other took it, Renz said.

Renz said the gun had not been reported stolen, and officers have not found its owner. The boys said the theft occurred between July 2 and July 6.

One has to wonder why the gun owner didn't report the gun stolen.

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

11-year old boy killed by 8-year old brother playing with stolen gun

Two brothers, ages 11 and 8, took a loaded, unsecured handgun from the home of an elderly couple where they had been doing yard work, and played with it in nearby woods.  Sadly, the 8-year old shot his brother in the head, killing him.

From an article:

Deputies were told at first that an unknown person had fired from an unknown direction, but they found a handgun hidden in the woods, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Authorities said the older boy was shot accidentally by his brother as they were playing.
The gun had been taken from a secured area on the property of an elderly neighbor when the boys went to his house to help with yardwork, authorities said.

No charges had been filed, and the county prosecutor’s office would review the incident, authorities said.

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

3-year old boy shot by 14-year old uncle while trying to "teach him about gun safety"

A 14-year old boy stole a .25-caliber handgun from a dealer and hidden it in his room, in Urbana, Illinois.  His 3-year old nephew, Mekhi Woods, found the handgun.  The boys lived together in the same home.  Thinking he could teach the toddler about gun safety, the teen took the gun and aimed it at the boy.  Unfortunately, it was still loaded.  He shot the boy in the forehead.  The toddler soon died from his wound.

From the article:

State’s Attorney Julia Rietz said the youth had taken the magazine out of the .25-caliber handgun that he had stolen in February from a Rantoul drug dealer’s home but apparently didn’t realize it was still loaded.

Rietz said the teen told Urbana police that Mekhi had been playing with the gun, which the teen kept in his room.

“He pointed it at the child and pulled the trigger, wanting to scare him and teach him about gun safety, not knowing there was a round in the chamber,” she said.

Rietz said after the round hit the toddler in the forehead, the teen scooped the child up and ran outdoors with him, handing his limp body to a young female friend he knew from school.

Assistant State’s Attorney Chris Kanis told Ladd in court that the child was still breathing, although the breathing was labored and the child had an obvious open wound to the forehead.

When the first officer arrived, the girl handed the wounded boy to him. At the same time, the teen was outside still holding the gun and yelling hysterically that he had shot his nephew and was going to shoot himself, Kanis said.

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

Arkansas teen found with stolen gun

A student in North Little Rock, Arkansas, was found with a stolen .38-caliber handgun at school.

From the article:

Students at North Little Rock's East Campus are back at school after a tip from a student leads police to a gun.

Thursday, officers found the .38 caliber handgun on a student. Officials were tipped off, thanks to a program on campus called "Crimestoppers."

The student who had the gun, said they found it in the parking lot and intended on throwing it in the Arkansas River.

Parents with students on campus were alerted to the gun being found through email, text and phone calls.

Police ran the serial number of the gun and it came back as stolen. The student is being charged as a juvenile.

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16-year old boy steals firearm in Wisconsin

A 16-year old boy was arrested for stealing a loaded firearm from a vehicle in Durand, Wisconsin.

From the article:

Durand Police say the gun was stolen from a vehicle around 8:30 Wednesday evening. Officers say the weapon was reportedly loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition.

A witness told officers the gun was taken by a 16-year-old boy. Thursday, officers found him in a vehicle near an apartment complex.

He was taken in on charges of theft, possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

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Toledo school referee had gun stolen from school locker room

Darrel Phillips was a referee during a girl's basketball game at a high school in Toledo, Ohio, back on January 9.  During the game, someone went into the locker room and stole items from his bag.  One of those items was a 9mm Glock handgun, brought illegally onto school property.

His case is now going to trial.

Bringing his handgun to school didn't make anyone safer.

17-year old steals gun from college campus and tries to sell it to 16-year old at school

Two high-school teens in Ellensburg, Washington, were caught with a loaded .22-caliber revolver in school.  The 17-year old had stolen the gun from a car at Central Washington University.  He then took it to school to sell to the 16-year old.  Both are being expelled and charged.

During the investigation, another 17-year old was found to have drugs at school.

From the article:

EHS administrators first became aware of the weapon after a student reported overhearing three classmates discussing the sale of a handgun in a school restroom. During the investigation, staff found a loaded .22-caliber revolver in one of the student’s lockers and confiscated backpacks and personal items belonging to the students. They found marijuana residue and paraphernalia, tobacco products, a small amount of prescription medication and an unidentified pill, Graf and Hansberry said.

The handgun allegedly was stolen during a vehicle prowl on Central Washington University’s campus Sunday night, and one of the suspects brought the gun to school to find a way to sell it, Hansberry said. One of the suspects admitted to committing five vehicle prowls Sunday night, four on CWU’s campus and one in EPD’s jurisdiction, he said.

The police recommended charges of vehicle prowl, theft, theft of a firearm, possessing a dangerous weapon on school property and trafficking in stolen property be filed against the 17-year-old, whom they consider the primary suspect, Hansberry said.

They recommended charges of possessing a dangerous weapon on school property and trafficking stolen property against the 16-year-old student. All of the charges related to the stolen firearm are felonies.

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

4-year old girl wounded when jumping on bed with hidden gun

A 4-year old Chicago girl was jumping on a bed when her action caused a loaded handgun, hidden between mattresses, to discharge, injuring her.

From the original article: (which identified the girl as 5-years old)

A 5-year-old girl was injured early Saturday morning when a gun hidden between mattresses in a Marquette Park neighborhood home discharged as she was jumping on the bed, police said. 

The girl was in good condition after being taken to Comer Children’s Hospital for treatment of an ankle injury, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Darryl Baety.

UPDATE (3/26/12):  The girl is identified as 4-years old, and was injured in the ankle.  The father is an ex-felon in possession of a stolen gun.  From the article:

Jarquise Upton, 21, of the 6400 block of South Artesian Avenue, was charged Sunday with one count of felony unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, misdemeanor possession of ammunition and theft of lost or mislaid property, police said.

Upton is accused of storing between two mattresses a gun that went off about 12:20 p.m. Sunday as a 4-year-old girl was jumping on a bed at his home, police News Affairs Officer Hector Alfaro said. The girl was shot in the ankle and treated at University of Chicago Comer’s Children’s Hospital.

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17-year old Medford, Oregon boy had stolen gun at school

A 17-year old Medford, Oregon boy was caught with a loaded .38-caliber gun at school, which he had stolen from a vehicle.

From the article:

Authorities in Medford say they arrested a teenager at North Medford High School carrying a loaded pistol he'd just stolen from an unlocked car.

The Mail Tribune reported today that police couldn't explain why the 17-year-old boy had the weapon and said he didn't threaten anyone or brandish it. They said gang activity or bullying didn't appear to be involved, and the youth wasn't looking to settle a dispute.

Police say students told the officer assigned to the school that a boy was carrying a pistol, and it took just 20 minutes to track him down. Police say he had a .38-caliber pistol tucked in his front waistband, which he had stolen from a car that morning.

The boy was held on theft and firearms charges.

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

13 year old Florida boy steals AK 47

Guns are fascinating to kids. This Florida teen stole an AK 47 from a client of his mother's. From the article:

According to Hernando County Sheriff's officials, the boy's mother cleans houses in the county as a source of income. On or around Feb. 12, the boy allegedly stole the weapon from a Spring Hill home his mother was cleaning.

Officials said the boy was assisting his mother clean the home when he took a rifle bag containing the AK-47, numerous rounds of ammunition and several magazines.

The boy said he liked the gun and was sure his mother would not buy him one. Let's hope not. And further:

"This is a situation that could have ended in tragedy," Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis said. "Recently in the Tampa Bay area, there have been several incidents that have involved guns and accidental shootings that have ended in the death of, or serious injury of, innocent victims. I would like to take this opportunity to remind homeowners, whether you have children or not, to please make sure your firearms are properly secured, especially when others will be entering your home."

Indeed. Safely storing guns is of the utmost importance. And every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.

 

17-year old boy caught with stolen, loaded gun in New Orleans

A 17-year old was spotted by police along a parade route in New Orleans with a bulge in his waistband.  They gave chase and caught the boy.

The gun in the boy's possession was a loaded 9mm with 17 rounds and had been stolen from a city vehicle.

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

South Carolina man threatens to kill wife and three children

Fernando Gonzalez, 34,of Conway, South Carolina, was in a domestic dispute with his wife.  He became aggressive, assaulted her, then threatened to kill her and their three children with a stolen shotgun.  Luckily the police arrived in time before his threat could be carried out.

From the article:

Back at the home, officers asked where the gun was and were taken to a closet in a bedroom. There, a Remington 1100 shotgun was found. After officers ran the serial number, they learned the gun was listed stolen from Curtis Pawn Shop on Highway 544. Three shotgun shells were also found in the magazine tube, the report said.

According to the victim, Gonzalez struck her twice during an argument and officers observed swelling to her face. When she took the three children to a back bedroom and locked them all inside, Gonzalez allegedly told her to come out or he would beat her until she was unconscious. At that time, she said she heard the sound of a gun and Gonzalez threatened to "kill everyone."

Gonzalez has been charged with criminal domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and receiving stolen goods. He remains in jail at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center at this time.

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