A verbal argument in the courtyard of a Claymont apartment complex turned into a gun scare early Friday morning, after police say a 17-year-old pointed a stolen, laser-equipped handgun at several people. The teen now faces multiple felony charges and remains held after failing to post $45,500 bail.
New Castle County police responded to the 900 block of Cedartree Lane in the Woodacre Apartments community at around 7:55 a.m. on October 23 after getting a report of a person with a gun, according to firststateupdate.com. Officers say the 17-year-old Claymont boy pointed a handgun fitted with a green laser sight at multiple people during a verbal altercation in the complex's courtyard, a claim detailed in a New Castle County Police post describing the incident.
Investigators said a green laser dot had reportedly been spotted inside the apartment complex before the confrontation even started, and that the dot may have come from one of the apartments. They also identified the apartment where the teen lived and recovered a loaded 9mm handgun with a laser attachment still affixed.
Gun Traced Back to a July Theft
Once the firearm was in hand, police determined it had been reported stolen back in July 2026 and tied the teenager to that original theft, the same report states. The discovery turned what began as a neighborhood dispute into a much more serious case, stacking charges that go well beyond the initial menacing allegation.
The teen was charged with three felony counts of aggravated menacing, one felony count of theft of a firearm, one felony count of possession of a firearm by a person under 21, and one felony count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, per the same account. Under Delaware law, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony is classified as a class B felony, according to a Delaware General Assembly legislative document.
Delaware statute does carve out an exception to the under-21 firearm possession law: it is not a violation if someone under 21 possesses or uses a firearm while using force against another person, so long as that use of force is legally justifiable, according to a separate Delaware General Assembly record. Whether that exception has any bearing on this case is not addressed in the available reporting.
Held on $45,500 Bail
The teen was arraigned at Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to a juvenile detention center after failing to post $45,500 in secured bail, the report notes. It is the only account currently available detailing the arraignment's outcome.
The Claymont incident is not the only recent case in the area involving a gun pointed at others. Back in April, Delaware State Police arrested 31-year-old Anthony Dejesus of Claymont after he allegedly threatened two students with a firearm near Claymont Elementary School, according to Delaware State Police. That case, involving an adult suspect and a different police agency, remains separate from Friday's arrest.
No further details on the alleged victims or any change in the teen's custody status since the arraignment have been made public.
