The South Carolina teen was arrested on Wednesday at the Columbiana Center mall in Columbia with his mother, 40-year-old La’Kenyatta Moore-Rhodes.
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Moore-Rhodes was charged with pointing and presenting a firearm, unlawfully carrying a firearm and contributing to the criminal conduct of a minor, according to a police press release. The teenager was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a person under the age of eighteen, unlawfully carrying a firearm and pointing and presenting a firearm.
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The arrest of the two comes a month after at least 14 people were injured in a mass shooting at the same mall. The gun-toting teen and his mother caught the eye of CCTV staff. After a search, officers discovered a loaded 9 millimeter firearm.
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After Moore-Rhodes and her son were arrested and detained, police officers missed the second gun that was also in view. That turned out to have smuggled the boy into prison. The officers involved have been suspended and must undergo training before being allowed to return to work.
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