Parents protest against teens bailed after allegedly wielding fake gun at shoppers

Furious parents have staged a protest outside the Melbourne home of a 14-year-old bailed after allegedly pointing an imitation gun at shoppers. 

Two teenage boys allegedly stole the imitation guns from a store at Somerville in Melbourne’s southeast on Thursday morning, before pointing the guns at shoppers. 

“Officers were quickly on scene and arrested three boys,” Victoria Police said in a statement on Friday.

“A 14-year-old and 16-year-old have since been charged with possess imitation firearm, affray and theft. They were bailed to appear before a children’s court at a later date. A 13-year-old boy was released without charges.”

The two boys allegedly threatened a woman who was holding her 18-month-old with the fake gun. 

“My daughter was playing in the playground. They walked over to her and pointed the gun directly in her face. My daughter was looking straight at him," she told 3AW on Friday. 

"We were very shocked and scared. There were a lot of witnesses who were scared as well, which is understandable.”

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“I just keep picturing a gun in my daughter’s face, which isn’t very nice,” she added. 

“It will take a little bit of time, but we’ll try and move on. My family and partner are disappointed and upset as well.”

The boys that were arrested were released just hours later, sparking outrage at the state's lax bail laws, with almost a hundred fed-up locals gathering outside the teen's house on Friday night. 

“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’,” a local told 7News.

Footage on social media showed the large groups of people gathered on the street, with police in attendance. 

“It was a peaceful protest to send a message to these young kids people have had enough,” one local wrote on Facebook.

“We have all had enough of crime, bad behaviour, drugs and lenient court sentences,” another woman said.

After the peaceful protest, Victorian opposition leader Brad Battin urged against “vigilante” behaviour.

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“Kids are getting bail, they’re sticking their finger up at the government each and every time they get on social media and brag that they can steal a car, do an aggravated burglary and be back on the street in an hour-and-a-half,” he told 7News.

“But to go on to vigilante acts after is only going to make matters worse.” 

Images: 7News