In the early hours of Saturday morning, two young boys were arrested following a ShotSpotter alert that drew police to Dorchester's Gallivan Boulevard. Boston Police officers from District B-3 (Mattapan) apprehended the juveniles, a 14-year-old and a 13-year-old, in connection with firearm-related offenses, according to the department's news release.
The sequence of events began at 1:35 AM when officers responded to the gun detection system’s trigger. They spotted a blue scooter operated by the two boys, speeding away from the area without helmets. Suspect 1, of a heavier build, wore a black sweatshirt and pants, a camouflage ski mask resting atop his head; his companion, Suspect 2, donned in a silver jacket, pants, and a concealed face with a black ski mask. An attempted stop on Croftland Avenue was evaded as the suspects took to the sidewalk.
Video surveillance from the area where the ShotSpotter was activated corroborated that the juveniles observed earlier were the ones discharging a firearm. This footage led to the escalated search after officers had first canvassed the location, collecting ballistics evidence.
Further investigation by the police resulted in the discovery of the two suspects outside the William Henderson School, where one was found searching the ground behind a fence, and the other hid in nearby hedges. A live .38 caliber round was retrieved from the pat frisk of Suspect 2; however, a weapon was not immediately apparent. A thorough search due to the proximity to a school led officers to a concealed revolver, jammed in the hedges next to Suspect 1.
The recovered firearm, a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolver with a discharged .38 caliber rounds in its cylinder, matched the round found on one of the juveniles. Facing several charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, ammunition, and a loaded firearm as well as discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, the youths are set to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
