A group of angry locals have gathered outside the home of a teenage boy who allegedly terrorised shoppers with a fake gun at a Melbourne shopping centre.
The teen, who cannot be identified, was one of three boys, aged 13, 14 and 16, who allegedly pointed fake handguns at shoppers inside the Somerville Central Shopping Centre in Melbourne’s southeast at about 10.40am on February 6.
The trio were detained and questioned by police but released on bail after several hours.
The angry mob stood outside the 14-year-old’s home on the Mornington Peninsula on Friday, demanding he be removed from the neighborhood.
One local estimated that hundreds of people gathered outside the home throughout the evening.
‘They came from everywhere. They were calling them “dog” and everything, just, you know, just “get off this property” and “get out of this street”.’
Police were eventually called to help handle the crowds and maintain the peace after protestors began shouting towards the house before the crowd gradually dispersed.
The rally was initially advertised on Facebook by a local who said they were not going to put up with the alleged actions of the teen.
‘It was a peaceful protest to send a message to these young kids people have had enough,’ they saud.
‘We have all had enough of crime, bad behaviour, drugs and lenient court sentences,’ another said.
Victorian Police confirmed they witnessed ‘a number of people gathered outside a home following social media reports to attend an address for a rally’.
The boys’ allegedly stole the imitation guns from a store before immediately pointing them at people throughout the centre.
One teen was seen pointing a gun at a woman and her 18-month-old baby baby as they left a department store in a chilling photo from the alleged rampage.
Another showed two of the alleged offenders cuffed and sitting on the pavement outside the shopping centre after police swiftly arrested the trio.
‘Officers were quickly on scene and arrested three boys,’ Victoria Police said in a statement on Friday.
The woman who allegedly had the fake gun pointed at her and her baby said she was on her way to order a coffee when it happened.
‘My daughter was playing in the playground. They walked over to her and pointed the gun directly in her face,’ she told 3AW.
‘My daughter was looking straight at him. I have no idea about guns, I didn’t know if it was real or fake. My initial reaction was to pick her up and move her away.
‘Luckily the boys turned around and walked away. We were very shocked and scared. There were a lot of witnesses who were scared as well, which is understandable.’
The mother said all she could think about the next day was ‘a gun in my daughter’s face’.
Police charged the 14-year-old and 16-year-old boys with possess imitation firearm, affray and theft.
They were both bailed and will appear before a children’s court at a later date.
The 13-year-old boy was released without charges.