Footage shows the moment a 17-year-old was shot dead at a juvenile detention center – after managing to get ahold of an unattended firearm.
The incident happened this past September in Illinois, at the Sangamon County Juvenile Center in Springfield.
The suspect, teenage inmate Camren Darden, was killed as a result – after coming across the gun on the facility’s floor despite guards there not carrying weapons.
Video released last week shows the subsequent police response to the situation at the usually gun-less facility, after Darden began firing shots from inside the building toward cops called to the scene.
It also shows him taking an unnamed female inmate hostage, before being gunned down by a police officer as he actually exited the jail for a brief second.
Cop declined to answer how an inmate was able to access a firearm, but were cleared of wrongdoing by by the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s office. A state-run investigation remains ongoing.
The incident happened this past September in Illinois , at the Sangamon County Juvenile Center in Springfield. The suspect, teenage inmate Camren Darden, was killed as a result – after coming across the gun on the facility’s floor despite guards there not carrying weapons
It also shows him taking an unnamed female inmate hostage, before being gunned down by a police officer as he actually exited the jail for a brief second. Cop declined to answer how an inmate was able to access a firearm. Their investigation remains ongoing
‘This is the Sangamon County Detention Center,’ a caller can be heard saying in the new footage of the September 30 incident, which saw all the facility’s inmates evacuated and relocated to different juvenile centers.
‘Oh my goodness,’ the male voice continues as shots reverberate in the background. ‘We have a kid that has a gun and he shooting inside.’
The jail staffer then trails off, before becoming frantic as the incident escalates.
‘Oh my god, we need someone here now!’ he exclaims at a point.
The accompanying surveillance clip – filmed in the facility’s cafeteria – shows the rest in full, with Darden seen brandishing and pointing the unidentified handgun before coming across the female inmate.
He proceeds to grab her by the neck while holding the gun to her head, while seemingly speaking to corrections officers on the other side of a window within the jail as the situation worsens.
The woman, meanwhile, is seen complying under gunpoint with the inmate’s requests, with her hand raised high in the air.
The 911 call, meanwhile, continues, and a dispatcher is heard asking the caller if the active shooter had fired on anyone.
‘I think he did – yes,’ the caller responds, with cops later confirming he ‘fired at multiple victims’ before officers with the Springfield Police Department eventually arrived on the scene.
After being shot at least twice, the suspect (seen here) was taken to HSHS St. John Hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. An obituary posted after his passing revealed him to be a student of Springfield Highschool, who ‘loved playing XBOX and listening to music’
After the first hail of bullets from responding officers, the teen dropped the gun- before making a mad rush to the firearm once again that ended his life
The second stream of fire proved fatal, and ended the minor’s escape plan permanently
‘You think he did?’ one of the dispatchers goes on to ask, while another inquires about the hostage.
‘Who is he holding hostage?’ the dispatcher asks.
‘One of the other residents – a female,’ the distraught caller responds.
At that point, the gunman is seen firing a shot through the aforementioned window, where the caller and other staff were apparently taking shelter.
‘He just shot through the f***ing window at me,’ the caller exclaims, sounding increasingly distraught.
The same staffer goes on to add: ‘He’s got a female resident hostage and he just blew a f***ing window right next to me while I tried to get into another room with another resident.
‘We need as many units as you got.’
The dispatcher goes on to heed the caller’s request, sending an emergency correspondence to all of the Sangamon County cops that was shared this week along with the six-minute surveillance snippet.
‘Attention all units,’ the dispatcher says in the clip. ‘Sangamon County’s enroute to an active shooter. 2202 South Dirsken. The juvenile center.’
The media package released by the Springfield Police Department proceeds to shift to body-camera footage of one of two officers who eventually arrived on the scene.
The two Springfield Officers, a veteran and an officer who was reportedly under training, are then seen rushing to the scene, and park their vehicle outside the detention center.
At that point, the more senior officer – whom the department did not name – produces a department issued assault rife, and prepares to storm the jail.
Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette in a statement described what happened next – revealing that Darden had come close to escaping the facility, and had made it to the front door.
Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette in a statement described how Darden had come close to escaping the facility, and had made it to the front door
‘When [the officers] observed the front door swing wide open, the veteran officer observed the suspect armed with a handgun and the hostage,’ says Scarlette in a segment of the media package.
‘The veteran officer immediately retrieves his department issued rifle from the trunk area as the officer in training takes up a position from just behind him,’ the top cop continues.
‘Tell me what you see! Tell me what you see,’ the senior officer is heard instucting his partner in the footage, before approaching the front door of the jail with the firearm locked and loaded.
A dual screen dynamic – one coming from a surveillance camera at the facility’s front doors and the other still conveying the officer’s bodycamera – ensues, as well as a hail of bullets coming from the cop.
‘Put your hands up! Put your hands up!’ the officer exclaims after firing what appears to seven quick shots.
Almost instantly, the teen and hostage flee back into the building, with Darden dropping the gun on the front vestibule’s floor.
At that point, officers said the suspect had been shot, leading him to drop the handgun.
However, still intent on escaping, the suspect proceeds to make one last dash for the downed weapon, leading the officer to shoot once again through the front door’s glass window, striking him again and causing him to slump to the ground.
The teen eventually died ‘from multiple gunshot wounds’ after firing the above weapon several times at jail staffers. Cops Tuesday still would not say how Darden was able to obtain the handgun, which was seized as evidence
As of Tuesday, other inmates have yet to return to the Sangamon County Juvenile Center. An investigation into how the incident occurred remains ongoing
With the hostage screaming, the gunman – now lying on the ground – goes on to put his hands up in surrender, at which point the officer rushes in and orders the female inmate to leave.
‘Get out now!’ he screams, still pointing his gun at Darden, as another view from his partner’s bodycam shows him leading the woman to safety.
With the crisis under control, several other officers rushed into the entrance area of the center, and quickly began applying tourniquets to the suspect’s wounds in an attempt to save his life.
Both the suspect and the hostage were subsequently taken to HSHS St. John Hospital for treatment, where Darden succumbed to his injuries and died at 9:41 PM, according Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon.
Allmon said the cause of death was ‘from multiple gunshot wounds’, and cops Tuesday still would not say how Darden was able to obtain the handgun.
An obituary and GoFundMe posted after his passing revealed him to be a student of Springfield Highschool, who ‘loved playing XBOX and listening to music. He also loved racing cars.’
Due to the suspect’s age, officials did not say what charges he had been originally incarcerated on.
He leaves behind a mother and stepdad and three siblings. As of Tuesday, other inmates have yet to return to the Sangamon County Juvenile Center.
An investigation into how the incident occurred, headed by the Illinois State Police, remains ongoing.