Teen found with gun at Columbiana Centre had second gun undetected by officers, police say

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The 13-year-old arrested after being found with a loaded gun at Columbia Centre was found with a second gun concealed at the Juvenile Detention Center Thursday.

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According to the Department of Juvenile Justice, staff at the Juvenile Detention Center received information a teen potentially was armed with a loaded gun.

DJJ says staff immediately responded, and recovered the weapon safely and without incident.

The teen was patted down, showered, and dressed in facility clothes, according to officials.

“We are thankful that the weapon was ultimately recovered safely by our staff. However, this entire series of events was preventable,” a statement released by the DJJ said.

The DJJ says an immediate review has been initiated to revamp the intake process.

The statement also says staff will be retrained on intake, search, and other safety procedures.

“The safety and security of our staff and youth is our highest priority,” the statement said.

The DJJ also says it will work with law enforcement partners to prevent contraband from entering facilities.

According to the statement, the staff directly involved with the incident have been suspended, pending an investigation.

The Columbia Police Department says the Office of Professional Standards will conduct an Internal Affairs investigation.

“This incident represents an egregious failure on many levels, including a violation of policy and procedure. This lack of a thorough search is unacceptable and risked public and officer safety,” CPD said.

Police say during the initial encounter with the teen, the suspect ran from police. Once officers caught up with the teen, they confiscated a loaded 9mm handgun.

It was later determined that the juvenile suspect had a second gun concealed on his body that was undetected by officers.

The arresting officers have been placed on administrative duty pending the completion of remedial training on handcuffing and searching of prisoners.

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