A teen was arrested Thursday night in Roxbury after officers on patrol heard gunshots and found him carrying a loaded Glock 19, police said. The 16-year-old, whose name was not released because of his age, was sweating and out of breath, when cops found him hopping a fence on Maywood Street, according to a statement obtained by Boston Police Department.
Police initially responded to the sounds of gunfire at around 8:56 PM on Thursday, and were directed to the scene by a shot spotter activation that detected three rounds fired at 27 Edgewood Street. During their search, they spotted and approached the teenager, who was attempting to evade authorities, and frisked him to find the firearm hidden in his waistband, the gun was loaded with fourteen rounds in the magazine.
The young suspect faces several charges, including unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, and a large capacity feeding device. Given his juvenile status, he is expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court.
The Glock 19, a common fixture in American gun violence narratives, now sits as evidence against a youth not yet old enough to vote, let alone legally carry it, the possession of such weaponry among teenagers in urban neighborhoods underscores an ongoing crisis of illegal firearms finding their way into young hands. The incident further fuels the debate on gun control, particularly the accessibility of large capacity magazines in urban areas.
