The incident occurred on July 21, when the three juveniles were apprehended by Seattle Police in the Chinatown-International District, after they were spotted brandishing firearms during the parade. The weapons recovered from the teenagers included two stolen guns, raising serious concerns about public safety.
According to The Post Millennial, the family of a 16-year-old boy who was tragically murdered in Auburn last month was participating in the parade to honor their son. They recognized the three suspects, believed to be linked to the murder, and promptly alerted the police. Court documents reveal a chilling account: "The father of the deceased boy saw the three teens. They were leaning up against a building and smiling at him and nodding to him to seemingly taunt the dad. A parking enforcement officer was notified, and one of the teens made a show of pulling his hoodie up from his waistband and reaching into his waistband to retrieve a handgun.”
TORONTO MAN FLEW TO SEATTLE TO THREATEN SENATOR WITH EXPLOSIVE VIOLENCE
August 02, 2024
The weapons carried by the teenagers were not ordinary handguns. One of the juveniles was in possession of a semiautomatic handgun, another had a modified handgun with a 30-round magazine and an auto-sear for automatic firing, and the third carried an untraceable, polymer-80 handgun, also equipped with an auto-sear. The teenagers, two aged 14 and one aged 13, were arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Carry of a Pistol, and Felony Harassment. Two of them were additionally charged with Unlawful Possession Of A Machine Gun.
WATCH: THIS IS WHAT LIBERALS TEACH THEIR KIDS
Despite the severity of the charges and the King County prosecutors' plea for the juveniles to remain in detention, one of the 14-year-olds was released to electronic home monitoring last week. The other two, despite their prior criminal records, were also later released, raising questions about the judge's decision.
IS A FOUR-YEAR DEGREE OVERRATED? NEW DATA SHOWS WHAT STUDENTS REALLY THINK ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION
King County Superior Court Judge Veronica Galvan, in response to the prosecutors' request to hold the teenagers in secure detention, stated, “You are not going to hold this child for the rest of his life, so let’s stop pretending holding people here is going to solve and resolve the issues. That is not going to work.” She further added, "We’ve detained people for years, and crime is still here. Children are still coming in with inappropriate things, we still have behaviors that are concerning, this is going to take a lot more than just throwing people in and locking them up without a key."
WATCH: ABC'S MARTHA RADDATZ FACT-CHECKING KAMALA'S DEBATE ANSWERS
Judge Galvan's decision has been met with criticism, especially considering one of the teenagers' disruptive behavior in jail prior to the hearing. King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jamie Kvistad informed the court that one of the teens “was banging on the door shouting inappropriate comments towards the staff and making threats. This happened the night before his detention review when he came before this court today to ask for release.”
NY TIMES PRAISES CHINA’S GREEN ENERGY BOOM—BUT GUESS WHO’S PAYING THE PRICE?
Appointed to the court by Democratic Governor Jay Inslee in 2014, Judge Galvan is a faculty member for the Washington State Judicial College, President of the District and Municipal Court Judges' Association, and a teacher at the Seattle University School of Law. Despite the serious charges and potential connection to a murder, she permitted some of the teenagers to participate in activities like football practice with other children while on electronic home monitoring. This decision has sparked a debate about the balance between rehabilitation and public safety in the justice system.
