Gun in backpack leads to teen’s arrest

A 16-year-old was arrested early Tuesday after a pistol was found in his backpack at a bus stop, Las Vegas police said.

Officer Barbara Morgan said the incident occurred about 6:30 a.m. at a bus stop on Marion Drive, southwest of Lake Mead and Nellis boulevards.

That's when the suspect, riding a bike, approached two boys and accused them of stealing his cell phone. The suspect then reached into his backpack, and the two boys saw part of a weapon, Morgan said.

This startled the boys, and they ran toward another bus stop.

The suspect on the bike caught up and was again reaching into his backpack when one of the two boys struck the suspect in the face while the other grabbed his backpack away from him, Morgan said.

She said the boys held the suspect, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, until police arrived.

Morgan said one of the boys, who is 16, called police. She did not know the age of the other boy.

A source with knowledge of the investigation said the .44 Magnum was loaded.

Morgan said the gun was not registered.

Clark County School District officials confirmed that the suspect is a student at Eldorado High School and the victims attend Sunrise Mountain High School.

Morgan said the boys did not steal the suspect's cell phone. They face no charges.

She added that the suspect was taken to a hospital for treatment and, upon his release, would be booked at the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of carrying a concealed weapon.