CHICAGO — A 12-year-old was arrested with a gun after telling Chicago police he was in a gang, officials said.
Chief Communications Officer Anthony Guglielmi tweeted a photo of the gun and said the boy was arrested in the 1800 block of South Kostner Avenue in the city’s Lawndale neighborhood.
Last night in alley of 1800 S Kostner, 10th Dist officers arrested a 12 yr old with this after he told CPD he was in a gang. @ChicagoCAPS10 pic.twitter.com/Vs7OcL1pT5
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) July 12, 2017
The Chicago Tribune reports that police found the boy’s mother about 30 minutes later. The boy was charged as a juvenile with unlawful use of a weapon, the Tribune said.
“We are failing our kids and gangs are taking the place where parents should be,” Superintendent Eddie Johnson said after learning about the boy.
Supt Johnson upset after hearing 12 yo arrested with a gun. "We are failing our kids & gangs are taking the place where parents should be" pic.twitter.com/3ABKaVAaOG
— Anthony Guglielmi (@AJGuglielmi) July 12, 2017
Earlier in the week, police were alerted about a video showing a group of boys, one of whom may have been carrying a gun. In the video, a man can be heard encouraging the child to shout gang slogans, and showing what appeared to be a gun in his pocket.
Police are trying to tie the video to 11 robberies, most of them in the city’s Bronzeville neighborhood.
According to the Tribune, police said the boy was not the boy in that video and police were still investigating that incident.
