A 14-year-old was arrested after an armed robbery at a Boston lemonade stand operated by two children, authorities said. The suspects took about $50 after asking about Apple Pay, flashed a gun, and fled. The lemonade stand reopened the next day as the South Bo
A lemonade stand on a Boston street turned into a confrontation in broad daylight—one moment meant for change and small talk, the next interrupted by a gun and a cash box.
Boston Police Department officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a lemonade stand at about 4:44 p.m. ET on June 10, a police report described by CBS News and obtained by a national outlet said. The stand was being operated by two children: David Byrne, 12, and his 11-year-old sister, Juliette.
When officers arrived, the suspects had already left, according to the police report. The report says the two suspects—believed to be around 14 and 11 years old—walked past the stand several times before stopping to ask whether the Byrne children accepted Apple Pay. Before they could answer, the suspects grabbed a cash box containing roughly $50, flashed a gun, and ran away.
David Byrne told CBS News Boston that one of the suspects came over as if he was bargaining for the money. “He walked over here, he said, ‘I might need to take the box,’ and he grabbed it with one hand, and then he showed us the gun.”
He said his sister raised her hands. “My sister, she put her hands up and I just said, ‘You can have it.’ But after that, I just was like a little annoyed because we were 12 and 11, and you shouldn’t really do that.”
The arrested suspect is expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court on charges that include delinquency, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to a BPD news release. The suspect has not been identified because he is a minor. Another suspect remains at large.
The robbery sparked outrage in the South Boston community, where the kids and their project had become familiar. After the incident, CBS News reported, the lemonade stand reopened the following day.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stopped by to support David and Juliette. and Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn said a portion of the stand’s proceeds would go to a local group dedicated to gun violence prevention. Byrne said the response reflected a message he wanted delivered loud and clear. “This just shows awareness of gun violence. and that you shouldn’t do this at this age or at all. ” he said.
His father, Dave Byrne, described the timing as especially jarring, telling CBS News the incident happened “in the middle of broad daylight.” “I’m pretty disgusted with it. They’re young children,” he said.
A family friend, Nicole Raukohl, also said she was shaken by what happened in a place she believed was safe. She told CBS News she was “angry” and said, “We’re not just going to let that happen, this is safe place usually and for this to happen is incredibly sad.”
Her son. Jonathan Raukohl. said the goal now was not to shut down kids’ lives. but to make sure the community understood it wouldn’t be intimidated out of street play and neighborhood routines. “It’s safe, it’s fun and they literally do this every day, and this is one thing that happened. So of course it’s awful. right. but we want them to know we’re not going to stop them playing on the street. we’re not going to stop them hanging out with the kids around.”.
What happened at the stand left the victims with more than missing cash—they were dealing with fear. disruption. and a sudden break in what had been a daily routine. Yet the quick reopening and the presence of city leaders underscored how quickly the community moved to stand between children and violence.
As the case proceeds through juvenile court. the details already laid out by police—two suspects asking about Apple Pay. taking roughly $50. flashing a gun. and fleeing—remain central to a story that has turned a small act of entrepreneurship into a public fight over safety for kids in everyday spaces.
Boston armed robbery lemonade stand juvenile court Boston Police Department Michelle Wu Ed Flynn gun violence prevention Apple Pay