OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Okla. –
Recent acts of violence involving young people in Oklahoma County are raising concerns about how children and teenagers are gaining access to firearms.
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In recent weeks, an 11-year-old, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old have been booked into the county’s Juvenile Detention Center in connection with separate homicide investigations.
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Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna said that while each case is different, the recent violence should lead to a broader conversation about how young people are obtaining guns and what adults can do to prevent similar tragedies.
“When young people are involved in deadly gun violence, we have to ask ourselves how we got here and what we can do differently,” Behenna said.
Behenna said efforts should not focus solely on what happens after a young person commits a violent crime. She said prevention must begin before a child picks up a gun.
“By the time a young person is standing in front of a judge facing a serious felony charge, we are already dealing with the aftermath,” Behenna said. “The goal has to be preventing that moment from ever happening.”
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, Behenna said.
