When I was 19, I enlisted in the United States Navy to be a corpsman. College wasn't working out, in part because I was more interested in hanging out with my friends than going to class, and I figured I needed to grow the hell up. As someone who'd always had an interest in the military, it seems like a good way to make that happen.
My folks weren't thrilled, but they were proud that I not just recognized the issue, but took steps to address it and didn't expect them to make everything better for me.
I'd like to think I wasn't some kind of anomaly.
I mean, most 19-year-olds aren't running around with a bunch of younger kids, breaking laws, and completely screwing up their lives because they can't seem to follow the law. However, as a report I came across illustrates, not everyone steps up and tries to act like a man when they reach adulthood.
Authorities have arrested eight teenagers they say stole dozens of guns in “smash-and-grab” robberies at Pittsburgh-area gun shops last year — weapons later linked to multiple shootings, including the death of a 7-year-old boy.
The suspects, seven of them juveniles, used stolen cars to travel between break-ins at gun shops in Duquesne, Bethel Park and West Mifflin, Allegheny County Police said.
...County police investigated the group for more than a year with the state Attorney General’s Office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives before filing more than 1,400 criminal counts this week.
Police said the crime spree started Jan. 13, 2025, when the teens struck three stores. They stole 56 guns from Allegheny Arms and Gun Works in Bethel Park. Police said they also attempted to burglarize two other federally licensed gun dealers, Greater Pittsburgh Quick Cash in Duquesne and Legion Arms in West Mifflin.
Six days later, the suspects stole 23 guns from a licensed firearms dealer in North Lima, Ohio, a town about nine miles west of the Pennsylvania border, police said.
In March, the group returned to the Duquesne gun shop but an attempted robbery was unsuccessful.
The teens — Chalais Ramey, 19, and seven boys ages 14 to 17 — were taken into custody Wednesday and face charges including participating in a corrupt organization, receiving stolen property, criminal conspiracy and gun possession charges.
The juveniles are being charged as juveniles, obviously.
When I was their age, I was too busy chasing girls and playing sports to break into gun stores. Well, that and the fact that while I was a screw-up as a kid, I wasn't that kind of screw-up. I knew better.
Keep in mind that these are eight kids, even if one is legally an adult, and they're looking at a total of 1,400 criminal charges here. For Ramey, that's a lot of time in prison. For the juveniles, they'll be out far sooner, most likely, but only because of their age.
Nearly 80 stolen guns, including several used to claim innocent lives.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said, “My office does not intend to treat these crimes as child’s play.” Considering the ages of the alleged offenders here, that's a nice turn of phrase.
But it's terrible that we're seeing such young kids involved in something like this, with this many charges, and the only reason their lives won't be completely ruined is that juvenile records get sealed.
The problem is that unless there's some other kind of intervention, the likelihood that they'll continue down this path is high.
Ramey shouldn't get out until he's old and gray, but the kids? They'll be out in a few years no matter what, and unless something changes, they'll go right back to avoiding the straight and narrow.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to lie about gun owners and the Second Amendment.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join Bearing Arms VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member