Three incidents in recent days raise concerns
A 7-year-old and 11-year-old used a gun in an attempted carjacking at a southeast Portland church Saturday, adding to separate incidents in the past few days of a young male arrested with a gun at Jefferson High School, and another teenager arrested with multiple firearms at his home in north Portland.
Ami Garrett and was sitting in her vehicle outside the Freedom Foursquare Church at 16000 S.E. Alder St. when the two boys approached her vehicle and threatened to shoot her if she didn’t give them something.
She told police that when the younger male told the older one to “show her your piece,” the boy lifted his shirt and showed her a gun.
The woman refused to give them anything and drove away, calling 9-1-1. As she pulled away she saw the 11-year-old pull the gun from his pocket.
Police was able to make contact with the pair. The 11-year-old was ordered to keep his hands out of his pockets, but he ignored the command and went for the weapon, police said. Officers grabbed the firearm and found a cocked and loaded .22 caliber handgun in his pocket.
Both juveniles were both placed into the custody of their families as they cannot be taken to the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Home due to their young age.
At Jefferson High School, 16-year-old Malik Overton was sitting in study hall on Dec. 4 when police handcuffed him as one of two male suspects reported to have been involved in a street shooting last summer near north Portland’s Peninsula Park.
Upon taking the young man into custody, police found a loaded handgun in his coat pocket.
Overton was placed in juvenile detention on charges of attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in a public building.
On Dec. 2, police arrested a 17-year-old male on several counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and theft in the first degree after recovering six guns from the young man’s home, four of which were reported to be stolen.
A family disturbance initially led police to the residence of 9500 block of North Fiske Avenue, where arriving officers learned that an argument between a son and his mother was about the young man’s possession of a firearm.
After a consensus search of the residence, police found in the teen’s possession, a double barrel shotgun, a pistol grip shotgun, a 9mm Mac-10, and three .45 caliber semi-automatic handguns.
Police also seized substantial quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, several holsters, ammunition, and cash.
The young man was also charged with the distribution and possession of marijuana and methamphetamine, and possession of cocaine.
