Utica Police Arrest 16-Year-Old Carrying Loaded 9mm Handgun

Another case of juvenile violence has shaken the City of Utica.

Utica Police announced that they have arrested a 16-year-old boy for allegedly possessing a loaded 9mm handgun.

This comes following a case that still is under investigation involving a young adult firing multiple rounds in broad daylight, of which was caught on camera.

Read More: Utica Police Looking for Young Suspects in Broad Daylight Shooting

Authorities say they received calls around 6:30 p.m. on September 3 regarding a group of young men armed with handguns near Bleecker Street.

"One party in particular was specifically described as wearing bright clothing holding the handgun," police said in a release.

Police went to speak with the group of four individuals, who fled on foot as they approached.  Officers chased the main suspect to a property on Elizabeth Street, who couldn't get past a large fence.

Said police:

At this point they gave the male verbal commands to show his hands, and the male then reached to an area in front of his body and removed a handgun and threw it to the ground.

The weapon turned out to be a loaded, 9mm Taurus handgun.

The 16-year-old, whose name is being withheld due to his age, was detained with no further issue and has been charged with:

• Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree
• Criminal Possession of a Firearm

Police say they also managed to detain the other 3 juveniles that night. All have since been "released to the care of their guardians."

It's no secret Utica has been struggling with youth violence, with an especially violent start to the year, with two separate homicides involving teenagers.

Unfortunately, this year also saw the first police-involved shooting death of a teenager. Nyah Mway, who was 13, was shot by UPD after pointing what appeared to be a handgun at police.

Read More: Utica Police Release Body Cam Footage of Officer-Involved Shooting

There has been a lot of finger pointing as to what's causing this surge of unnecessary violence.  Some blame the new "Raise the Age" law that allowed children 18 and up to be tried as an adult in criminal cases.

Others lay the blame on the parents for not keeping a better eye on or setting a better example for their child.

Whatever is truly the root cause of this tragic trend, here's hoping it is identified soon and that kids can go back to worrying about pop quizzes and crushes instead of crime.

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