Crime & Safety

Toy Guns, Firecrackers End in Arrest of Teens in Grosse Pointe Woods

The Grosse Pointe Woods Department of Public Safety arrested a group of teenage boys Sunday on Blairmoor after receiving 911 calls about guns being fired.

A home on Blairmoor in was surrounded by Grosse Pointe Woods Public Safety officers Sunday afternoon after callers had said shots were being fired.

Responding officers found a group of teenagers on the roof of a home brandishing what appeared to be guns—later discovered to be toys that were altered to make them appear real—and throwing firecrackers to the ground, Grosse Pointe Woods Detective Sgt. Raymond Yonkowski said.

When officers arrived, two of the teens ran over the peak of the house, Yonkowski said. They were lying down when the officers went to the roof to find them, he said.

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The teens were on the roof with three airsoft guns that normally would have a bright orange tip but they had used black paint to conceal the orange—making them appear to be real weapons rather than toys, Yonkowski said.

In addition, the teens were throwing firecrackers to the ground, he said. The combination of seeing the teens on the roof with the weapons and hearing the firecrackers is likely what led to the 911 call, he said.

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During the investigation, officers discovered the teens also had three bb rifle style guns, additional firecrackers, including a roman candle, all of which was taken into police evidence along with the airsoft toy guns, Yonkowski said.

The teens were arrested and processed at the police department. As of Monday, charges were being reviewed with the city prosecutor related to the illegal discharge of a firearm with a projectile and illegal use of fireworks, Yonkowski said.

Officers discussed with the teens the seriousness of the situation, explaining that by creating an environment that led some to believe they were firing guns it was putting their own lives at risk with the police response, Yonkowski said.


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