RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — It’s still too early to tell where the gun that was used in the accidental death of a Richmond 13-year old came from, police say, but officials are warning residents to lock their guns up to prevent similar accidents.
Marquan Mitchell of Manchester was killed last week in what police are calling an accidental shooting.
Now people are asking how the teens involved got their hands on a gun in the first place.
Following Friday’s incident, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney begged gun owners to lock up their guns.
8News spoke with Dana Schrad with the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police.
She echoes that sentiment from the mayor but also says that keeping guns out of the hands of children starts at home.
“It’s very disturbing, very disheartening to see how many young people have been involved in violent crimes involving guns” said Schrad.
And she said that since youth can’t purchase guns on their own, its clear adults are involved, “They can’t purchase them legally so they’re getting them from someone else. They are either getting them from a friend or in a home where the gun isn’t secured.”
8news reached out to Richmond police to find out exactly how a 13-year-old managed to get a gun. They said it was too early into the investigation to tell.
Schrad and the police chiefs aren’t the only one who wants to see an end to the youth gun violence.
Cornetta Holmes is Tyrek Branden’s mother.
He was a victim of gun violence earlier this month.
Now she’s pleading with the public to put an end to youth violence.
“We gotta do something about these guns all these kids are getting killed and then you can’t find the people who are killing them, and they aren’t doing their time or paying the consequences,” she said.
But what is being done to reduce tragedies like this from happening in the future? Right now, Holmes says it’s all about education.
“I think education is the biggest thing right now because we don’t have laws that require people to lock up their guns or register a firearm,” she said.
No arrest has been made in last week’s fatal shooting and police are continuing to investigate.
They ask anyone with information about what happened to share what they know with Richmond Police.
