LAUREL, Del. - The Laurel Police Department have arrested a teen and charged him with multiple felonies including a hate crime following an incident in Laurel a week ago.
Police say they were called to W 6th Street in Laurel on July 21st, just after 12:30 p.m., by a 13-year-old who told them someone had pointed a gun at him. After speaking with the juvenile and a guardian, investigators learned the boy, a black male, had been playing basketball in his driveway when an unknown white male stopped his car in front of the boy’s home, according to police.
That unknown person then allegedly told the 13-year-old to go inside and began yelling racial slurs. Police say the suspect then produced a gun and pointed it at the boy, who ran inside. The suspect reportedly fled.
The 13-year-old described the suspect and his car to police with specific identifying features. A search of the area was conducted, and several individuals told police they had reportedly seen the same driver and car driving recklessly and yelling racial comments at people.
The suspect was finally identified as a 16-year-old from Delmar, DE. The teen turned himself in to the Laurel Police Department with a guardian. He has been charged with the following, which are all felonies:
-Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony
-Hate Crime for Underlying Class E Felony
-Aggravated Menacing
The Delmar teen was released on his own recognizance and now awaits a Sussex Family Court arraignment.
The Laurel Police Department says this is an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Department at 302-875-2244.