13-year-olds charged after shots are fired at teen party

LORAIN — Two 13-year-old boys were arrested Sunday morning after one of the boys allegedly fired a stolen gun at a party full of juveniles.

At 11:58 p.m. Sunday, police were sent to West Seventh Court and Washington Avenue for a large party of juveniles where shots had been fired. Police said, when officers arrived, approximately 100 juveniles were fleeing the area.

According to a police report, many of the teens were screaming that a male wearing a white tank top had been firing a gun.

Police spoke with the host of the party who had allowed her children to invite approximately 20 friends, but she said the party soon got out of hand with many uninvited people arriving. She said at 11 p.m. she heard a commotion after some “south side boys” had shown up uninvited, and the “west side boys” began to fight with them. She then told police gun shots were fired, but police said the woman had never called police during the incident.

Police located two spent R-P 9 mm shell casings on the sidewalk in front of the 700 block of Washington Avenue. According to the report, officers then received a call from dispatch that two teenagers were spotted in the backyard of a home in the 900 block of West Seventh Court, and one of the boys was carrying a gun.

Police located the boys, who ran from officers through an alley behind the 400 block of West 10th Street. Both boys were stopped, and police said one of the boys had a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol magazine and one unfired round of ammunition.

Police found the Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol in a pile of tree limbs in the back yard of the 400 block of W. 10th Street. The pistol was reported stolen through the Brunswick Police Department.

Both boys told police that the other had fired the pistol at the party and denied any involvement.

Police arrested the boys and charged them with obstructing official business and receiving stolen property. One of the boys was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and tampering with evidence for hiding the weapon from police during the pursuit. The other was charged with possessing criminal tools for carrying the ammunition.

Police completed a gunshot residue test to determine which boy shot the gun, with additional charges pending.

The boys’ parents were contacted, and they were transported to Lorain County Detention Home.