Purple Squirt Gun

Two boys, ages 11 and 14, allegedly held up a Leavenworth Dollar General with a concealed weapon — a purple squirt gun carefully disguised with black electrical tape.

On Monday afternoon, the boys demanded cash and displayed the gun as they walked into the store at 421 Delaware St. While the older boy struggled with the clerk, the younger one reached into a cash register and grabbed cash.

They bolted from the store but couldn’t outrun police officers, who made the arrests within minutes.

Police recovered the gun left behind in the store. They peeled back the electrical tape and discovered the colorful toy underneath.

The law makes no concession for the fact the gun was designed to hold water instead of bullets, police said.

“The crime is dictated by the behavior of the suspects in this instance,” Police Maj. Patrick Kitchens said.

    Kansas City Star



  1. Rob says:

    They did this in Leavenworth? Perhaps they just really REALLY wanted to see what that cool prison down the street is like, from the inside.

  2. mark says:

    “They bolted from the store but couldn’t outrun police officers, who made the arrests within minutes.” After the training wheels fell of the 11 year olds bicycle.

  3. sirfelix says:

    I saw a special on how bad the crime has gotten in Kansas City. They talked about how crime has been somewhat “breeded” into families over the last 2 generations, at least more then many other cities. This is definately a reflection of current parental guidance. I wonder if the parents have records.

    A company, Virtra Systems, just got an order from the Kansas City Police Department for a virtual reality simulator that trains officers on use-of-force situations. It uses weapons and shoots back. Its like training in a war-zone. I guess they needed it if 11 years olds are going to start carrying weapons, fake or real.

  4. Marc says:

    Yes, next time shoot them. Hey, these are kids!

  5. tallwookie says:

    haha stupid kids…

  6. hhopper says:

    …Kids that will most likely grow up to be career criminals.

  7. Marc says:

    … just think what you have done as a kid.

  8. grog says:

    #3, et al it’s EVERY city

    i drove cabs for about a year and worked the projects and ghettos of cincinnati (a similar sized city), and i can tell you first hand that it’s easy to see how those places are festering breeding grounds turning kids into the worst kinds of criminals

    1.) they feel like a jail: built out of the way, heavy police presence
    2.) the schools there suck
    3.) kids grow up expecting money to just show up in the mail
    4.) drug dealers and gangs run rampant

    pretty freakin’ bleak — easy to see how those of us fortunate enough to grow up in loving families with hope have a hard time understanding how these kids see the world as hopeless and do desperate deeds.

    i mean, if where you grew up feels like prison, then what kind of deterrent is prison?

  9. John Paradox says:

    i mean, if where you grew up feels like prison, then what kind of deterrent is prison?

    Comment by grog

    “Three hots and a cot”. More than they have on the outside, food and shelter.

    J/P=?

  10. tallwookie says:

    #7 – nothin this stupid – but then again, the place I was raised, everyone had hunting rifles & handguns of all types…

  11. Angel H. Wong says:

    Punk’d!


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