DOUGLAS — Police are searching for two armed boys, possibly as young as 6 years old, who they said are behind an attempted robbery near Williams Park on June 28.
Police sent out a warning to residents after a string of 11 robberies in June by groups of children, many of them 10 to 11 years old, with the youngest involving two boys described by the victim as between 6 and 8 years old.
The two boys, one armed with a silver handgun, approached a person just before 8 p.m. June 28 in the 100 block of East 29th Street near Williams Park and demanded money. The two boys ran away when the victim claimed to have no money, police said.
The robbery attempt came after a string of robberies involving young kids on the blocks east of Williams Park and north of Dunbar Park, at 300 E. 31st St.
Nearly all of the victims described groups of three to nine young boys involved in the robberies, with the oldest robber estimated to be 20 years old, police said.
Leonard McGee, president of the Gap Community Organization, questioned whether the witnesses got the ages right, but said he thought people shouldn't be surprised that kids are using guns.
"They might be sticking up people because their parents stick up people," McGee said. "They're imitating someone."
He said he hopes police are trying to get to the bottom of what happened.
Police said detectives are investigating, but have not made any arrests in connection to the robberies.
Police said the robberies took place at:
• 3 p.m. June 3 in the 2900 block of South Martin Luther King Drive
• 9 p.m. June 3 in the 2900 block of South Michigan Avenue
• 10:30 p.m. June 4 in the 2600 block of South Michigan Avenue
• 2:15 p.m. June 4 in the 2900 block of South Michigan Avenue
• 6 p.m. June 4 in the 2700 block of South Indiana Avenue
• 4:45 p.m. June 7 in the 2900 block of South Indiana Avenue
• 8:30 p.m. June 7 in the 2900 block of South Martin Luther King Drive
• 9:30 p.m. June 8 in the 2900 block of South Martin Luther King Drive
• 4:10 p.m. June 9 in the 100 block of W. 30th Street
• 6 p.m. June 26 in the 2900 block of South Martin Luther King Drive
• 8 p.m. June 28 in the 100 block of East 29th Street
