By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
The high-profile arrest of four teens from Seattle, Washington by police in Portland, Oregon following a crime spree in the latter city raises questions about the ineffectiveness of gun control laws in both states, considering the firearms that were recovered.
The three-day spree began July 14 and ended on the 17th after police served a search warrant at a specific residence and detailed 12 people, including the teen suspects and an adult with an outstanding warrant on an unrelated charge. Police also recovered four firearms linked to a string events involving some of all of the teen suspects.
The list of crimes includes an attempted murder, carjacking, armed robbery, menacing, assault and unlawful use of a weapon. According to the Portland Police Bureau, the four juveniles were booked into the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center.
The recovered guns included a semi-auto pistol with a drum magazine, a second pistol and a third AR-type pistol with taped-together “large-capacity magazines.”
KATU News provided some details about the charges each teen faces:
- A 17-year-old was charged with second-degree attempted murder, and two counts of first-degree robbery.
- A 15-year-old was charged with second-degree attempted murder, and two counts of first-degree robbery.
- A 16-year-old was charged with two counts of first-degree robbery.
- A 17-year-old was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon.
Under existing law in both states, none of the teens could have legally possessed any of the guns seized as evidence. However, existing laws in both Oregon and Washington restrict the kinds of firearms adults can purchase. Washington, for example, bans the sale of so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.” Those laws did not prevent the suspects from having guns allegedly used in the crimes.
The crime spree began with a carjacking and robbery of a ride share driver on July 14 at 12:36 a.m. Later that same day, just after 3:30 p.m. a car owner approached a group of suspects trying to break into his car, which was parked in his driveway. The suspects reportedly aimed guns at the victim as they sped away in another vehicle.
That night, just before 11 p.m., a gas station robbery occurred during which a store employee was struck on the head with a handgun.
Early last Friday morning, police were called to convenience store/gas station where one of the robbers struggled with an employee, and the employee was shot. KATU said the employee was hit four times in the abdomen and once in the leg, and is expected to survive.
