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A 16-year-old Chicago youth has been charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon after, Evanston police say, he was seen running down a Rogers Park street with a handgun.

Police Cmdr. Joseph Dugan says detectives from the Neighborhood Enforcement Team patrolling the area of Howard Street and Ridge Avenue about 7:43 p.m. Thursday were flagged down by a woman who said someone from a vehicle was firing a handgun on Birchwood Avenue in Chicago, just east of Ridge.

Dugan says the detectives saw a youth running west on Birchwood from Hoyne Avenue carrying a nickle-plated handgun.

The detectives were able to take the subject into custody without incident, Dugan says, and recovered a loaded Colt .380 caliber handgun from the youth, who’s been taken to the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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4 Comments

  1. Kid with gun
    They will just say he didn’t really know how serious this is and let him loose.

      1. Confidentiality for minors

        This person is a minor, so we’ll most likely never know.

        1. Six year old and doing hold-ups

          See the Trib or others today [July9, 2017] where a gang in south Loop robbing people.  One robber appears to be six years old.

          For decades older criminals got kids to sell/distribute drugs and commit other, including violent, crimes because what judge would sentence them—so they keep doing the crime and guess what it esculates. 

          While kids under 18 would only get worse and be abused—-and learn about more criminal ways–in an adult prison, something must change.

          Like jails or special prisons for those under 18, full sentences–no more release at 21. Crime remains on their record just as it would for an adult—courts are actually clearning even adults records for crimes committed after adulthood [if you can call it that]—and names made public no matter what the age.

          Otherwise those under 18 will learn they  can get away with most  anything and older criminals will realize they can get the youngsters to commit the crimes—and probably some  of those under 18 will be seriously hurt or killed while doing the crime or by other criminals/gangs.

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