BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Broken Arrow police urge gun owners to lock their cars after an incident outside of the Rooster Days festival.
One teenager is in custody after gunshots police said they fired shouts outside of Broken Arrow’s popular Rooster Days festival Thursday night.
Broken Arrow police told 2 News this dangerous incident could have been prevented with more cooperation from gun owners.
“This was a potentially very dangerous situation that could have escalated to something tragic,” said Captain Josh McCoy of the Broken Arrow Police Department.
McCoy said after getting into an argument at the festival, a group of teens left to iron out the situation at the apartment complex across the street. That’s where the gunshots were fired.
Police, already a presence at the festival, ran over to make an arrest and recover the gun. It was a stolen weapon.
McCoy said the teens are known to police.
“They’re known auto burglars, we have dealt with them, they have been arrested before,” he said.
According to recent numbers, most often the criminals are breaking into unlocked vehicles.
McCoy said the overall safety of the community could impact resident's mindsets.
“That could play into a false sense of ‘It’s ok to leave my doors unlocked,'” he said. “We have a lot of people who have been in this community for a long time.”
For Diane McLendon, Rooster Days is a family tradition. Her granddaughter is in town from Tennessee.
“They come down every year, spend the summer with us and go to Rooster Days,” she said.
She hopes the incident doesn’t sway people from enjoying the festivities.
Police urge car owners to lock their vehicles at all times. They also urge parents to know their children’s friends and what they do together.
If the teen arrested is charged and convicted as a youthful offender, they could serve time in the juvenile system until they turn 18.
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