Mesquite Police respond to gunshots at apartment, find rifle without serial number

Stock image | Photo by Barbol88/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Police responded to reports of gunshots coming from inside an apartment in Mesquite Wednesday afternoon.

The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m.

“After confirming no one had been injured in the shooting, officers and detectives began investigating and learned multiple juveniles had been inside the apartment when the gunshot had gone off, and there may have been stolen firearms involved with serial numbers filed off,” according to a Mesquite Police Department news release.

According to police, there were holes in the drywall and subflooring with an expended bullet in the apartment above. Officers found an AR-15 that was taken apart and hidden.

The male suspect told the officer that the firearm was discharged by accident while he was dismantling it. Police say the rifle also did not have a serial number.

“After the investigation concluded the male juvenile, already on probation, was taken into custody for felony possession of a firearm with an altered or obliterated serial number and obstructing a public officer,” the release said.

There were also two juvenile females involved with both receiving citations for obstructing an officer. Both were then released to their guardians.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!