Two 17-year-olds find themselves in youth detention after Seattle Police discovered them with firearms, one reportedly modified for automatic fire, near Cleveland High School on June 18, 2024. According to a Seattle Police Department blotter post, officers arrived on scene at 17th Avenue South and South Orcas Street at approximately 12:50 p.m. following tips about youths brandishing a gun inside a vehicle.
The situation escalated as one juvenile, reacting to the police presence, abandoned the car and initiated a foot chase that ended shortly with his capture. Upon their arrival, another officer while detaining the juvenile occupants inside the vehicle, discovered a handgun equipped with an illegal “switch” device. They seemed to have been hastily abandoned inside the vehicle as the police swooped in.
All persons connected to the scene were detained, and two underage individuals, both slated to turn 18 this year, were taken into custody for unlawful possession of a firearm and booked at the Judge Patricia H. Clark Children & Family Justice Center. The others, after an intense inquiry by the officers, were sent home with their parents.
Following the arrests, a search warrant allowed the police to further comb the vehicle, leading them to a second loaded firearm. "Detectives with the Gun Violence Reduction Unit will take lead on this case," as stated by the SPD blog. Both guns were secured as evidence, casting a stark light on the challenges the city faces with youth and gun violence.
