The teens were detained along with a “black and red replica firearm,” two fake magazines and the victim’s iPhone, Boston police said
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Two teenagers have been arrested and charged for allegedly robbing a 9-year-old boy on a Boston playground.
The victim was at Children’s Park, a public playground, in the evening of Thursday, July 25, waiting for a cookout to begin when he was approached by two teen boys, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE.
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While brandishing and pointing a replica firearm at the victim, the teens allegedly asked him for his shoes, iPhone and money before fleeing the scene, Boston Police said.
“I was terrified,” the victim, whose identity was not released by police, recalled to Boston news outlet WCVB. “I was thinking like, ‘What if I die right here on the spot, right here?’ “
“All he wanted to do is just shoot me right there if I didn’t give him my password,” the boy added. “I had to get them because I didn’t want to get shot.”
Officers quickly found two individuals who matched the teens’ descriptions and “successfully stopped” them, police said.
After detaining the suspects, officers took custody of the victim’s iPhone, along with a “black and red replica firearm” and two fake magazines, police said.
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The two teens were charged with armed robbery and threat to commit a crime, according to Boston Police. Like the victim, their identities have not been publicized.
Also speaking with WCVB, the victim’s mother, whose identity was not publicized, said she feels unsafe following the incident.
“It’s scary,” she told the outlet. “I mean, it’s very scary. We’re not safe.”
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In a statement provided to CBS News, Essex County District Attorney Kevin Hayden emphasized that the age of the victim makes this incident even more shocking than usual.
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“Being robbed at gunpoint is a terrifying experience for anyone,” Hayden said. “But the age of the victim here, and the ages of the charged juveniles, adds an extra layer of shock and heartbreak.”
“I commend this young boy and the adults present for providing the information that led to the arrest,” he added.
Hayden did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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BOSTON (WHDH) – The maker of the online learning platform Canvas has reportedly reached a deal wit the hackers who took down the site last week to get their data back.
The company did not reveal what was given to the hackers in exchange for the return of more than 275 million users’ data, but said they confirmed the data was detroyed.
Canvas was down for several hours last week because of the cyberattack.
The hacking group said nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were impacted, including Harvard University.
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They said they accessed billions of private messages and personal information.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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Investigators identified Tyler Brown of Boston as the man who allegedly opened fire on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, leaving two victims with life-threatening injuries.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said Brown fired 50 to 60 shots on the busy road shortly after 1 p.m. Monday.
Two male victims were hit in vehicles, Ryan said. They are in critical condition and fighting for their lives.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper and a civilian with a license to carry a firearm went toward the gunman and fired their weapons at him. Officers treated Brown at the scene, and he was brought to a Boston hospital, where he is in intensive care, according to the district attorney.
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This video shared with NBC10 Boston appears to show a man opening fire at cars on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Authorities have, so far, shared limited information about the suspect.
“Mr. Brown is from Boston, and apparently was in the process of moving here. We understand that Mr. Brown was under the supervision of either the Massachusetts Probation Department or Department of Parole,” Ryan said.
She did not elaborate on why Brown may have been on probation or parole.
“We will address Mr. Brown’s criminal record, if any, at the arraignment,” she said.
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Ryan added that she did not know enough about Brown’s condition to say whether he would be arraigned in court or in a hospital bed. The timing was also not clear.
He will face two counts of armed assault with intent to murder and firearms charges, and “a variety of other charges as we unfold what took place, exactly, and we have a chance to speak to the many, many people who were out there,” Ryan said.
An inbound stretch of Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road will be closed each night through August for tunnel repairs, officials announced.
Starting Monday, the closures will begin at 8 p.m. and last until 5 a.m., state officials said.
Road closures begin at North Harvard Street in Allston and stretch along the Charles River Esplanade to Mugar Way in Boston, near the Hatch Memorial Shell, officials said.
Traffic will be detoured into Cambridge over the Anderson Bridge, along Memorial Drive, and then be routed into Boston over the Longfellow Bridge.
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The closures will allow ongoing repairs to the Storrow Drive Tunnel in the Back Bay.The work is the first phase of a two-stage project to extend the lifespan of the tunnel, which carries roughly 50,000 drivers to and from downtown Boston daily.
The outbound portion of the tunnel and accompanying roadways will not be affected.
State transportation officials said changes to the work schedule will be made when necessary to minimize impacts during major local events at TD Garden, Fenway Park, or during the FIFA World Cup and 250th anniversary celebrations scheduled for this summer.
Additional changes may be made without notice due to weather.
Transportation officials have not specified when the closures will end.
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Bryan Hecht can be reached at bryan.hecht@globe.com. Follow him on Instagram @bhechtjournalism.
