Anchorage police have taken a 12-year-old boy, reported earlier Friday to possibly possess a handgun and pose a threat to public safety, into custody.
In a tweet from the Anchorage Police Department shortly before 2 p.m. Friday, the boy was safely taken into custody after being noticed by an alert citizen. According to an initial Friday statement from APD spokesperson Dani Myren at about 11:15 a.m., the boy police were searching for was last seen early Friday in the vicinity of the 9600 block of Victor Road, headed for a People Mover bus stop. “Police are concerned (he) poses a serious threat to himself and others,” Myren wrote. Myren refused to identify the boy's school, but says APD school resource officers are involved in the case. “Because he’s school-age, we have SRO involvement,” Myren said.
Anchorage School District spokesperson Patty Layou said no schools were on lockdown Friday, but that SROs at schools in the Victor Road area had been aware of the situation and were "canvassing the area."
APD spokesperson Jennifer Castro refused to immediately discuss the circumstances of the case or whether the boy may face any charges Friday afternoon, noting that he is a juvenile.
"That's all under investigation," Castro said. Channel 2's Mike Ross and Matthew Smith contributed information to this story.
This is a developing story. Please check KTUU.com and the Channel 2 newscasts for updates.