SOUTH BOSTON, MA – Two young children trying to earn extra summer cash were robbed at gunpoint in broad daylight on Wednesday afternoon, sparking outrage and a massive community response in South Boston.
The Brazen Robbery
An 11-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy were running their neighborhood lemonade stand around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday when they were approached by two juvenile suspects. According to the Boston Police Department, the suspects initially asked if the children accepted Apple Pay.
Before the young entrepreneurs could reply, one suspect grabbed their pink cash box. Simultaneously, the second suspect lifted his shirt to display a black firearm tucked into his waistband, telling the children, “We’re taking it all.”
The terrified victims surrendered the box, which contained $50. The suspects fled on foot, dropping the box nearby but running off with the cash.
Family Left Traumatized
The children’s mother, Jennifer Byrne, shared that the ordeal has left her family deeply shaken. Her daughter called her from the scene hysterically crying to report the armed robbery.
According to Byrne, her son described the suspects as:
- A Black male, approximately 10 or 11 years old, smaller in build, wearing a balaclava-style mask.
- A Black male in his early teens, wearing a black Nike balaclava-style face mask, black shirt, shorts, and high white socks.
Boston Police have released surveillance images and a short video of the suspects pacing the area prior to the crime. No arrests have been made as of Friday.
Community Rallies in Solidarity
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from local officials. Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn emphasized that the neighborhood needs a stronger police presence, stating, “There is simply no one that envisions a place where a children’s lemonade stand is robbed at gunpoint as the safest city in America.”
In a heartwarming turn of events, South Boston neighbors are refusing to let the thieves win. The community is rallying behind the young siblings, planning to turn out in droves Friday evening to support their newly reopened lemonade stand and help them recoup their losses.
