Police: 2 boys, 11 and 7, use gun in carjack try

Police say two boys, ages 11 and 7, had a loaded gun and tried to carjack and rob a woman in southeast Portland Saturday afternoon.

KGW reports that after hearing reports of an 11-year-old with a gun, police responded to 16000 Southeast Alder Street, near the Freedom Foursquare church, according to Sgt. Pete Simpson with the Portland Police Bureau.

Officers approached an 11-year-old and a 7-year old boy on the south side of the church.

Police said they told the 11-year-old to keep his hands out of his pockets, but he ignored them. The officers grabbed his arms and found a cocked and loaded .22 caliber handgun in his pocket, Simpson said.

The officers were then flagged down by a 22-year-old woman who said she was sitting in her truck when the two kids approached her in the church parking lot and tried to carjack her while she waited for her parents, Simpson said.

Ami Garrett told officers the 7-year-old told the 11-year-old to “show her your piece” and the older boy lifted his shirt and showed her the gun.

Garrett refused to give up her truck, so the kids demanded her phone and money, telling her they couldn’t leave without something, and threatened to shoot her, Simpson said.

Garrett said she didn’t give them anything. Instead, she drove away and called police. As she was driving, she said she saw the 11-year-old pull the gun out.

Because of the boys’ ages, they were placed into the custody of their families, as they could not be taken to the Donald E. Long Juvenile Home. But when the 11-year-old was taken home, he took off running. He was quickly caught again and left in his parents’ custody.

Simpson said all reports will be given to the juvenile court for follow-up and detectives will continue to investigate how the 11-year-old boy was able to obtain a firearm.