A 12-year-old and his 11-year-old sister were robbed at gunpoint in South Boston while operating a lemonade stand. Police say two minors approached, demanded to use Apple Pay, then grabbed the money box after one suspect displayed a firearm. The victims were n
The lemonade stand was supposed to be simple: a summer project, a little hustle, and extra cash counted out in small bills and coins. Instead, on a bright South Boston afternoon, it turned into a moment David Byrne still can’t fully shake.
Boston Police responded to a report of an armed robbery around 4:44 p.m. on Wednesday in South Boston. When officers arrived, they spoke to two minor victims — 12-year-old David Byrne and his 11-year-old sister, Juliette Byrne — who were operating the stand in the area.
David and Juliette told police that two suspects made several passes by the lemonade stand before approaching and asking whether they could use Apple Pay. Before the children could respond. police allege the suspects grabbed their money box and that one of the boys “displayed a black firearm in his waistband” before fleeing.
The victims weren’t injured, but the fear landed hard. David later recalled the sequence to CBS News Boston: “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. 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.”.
A neighbor described what she saw as well. She alleged to NBC10 Boston that she watched the suspects with the money box, and when they noticed her, she said they dropped it, then grabbed the $50 inside and ran away.
For Jennifer Bryne. the mother of the children. what stayed with her was the shock that hit her daughter while she was at work. She said her daughter called in hysterics. crying and saying. “Somebody put a gun to us and took all of our money.” Bryne also described noticing “two kids with masks over their face across the street” who. she said. kept “coming back and forth.”.
Bryne said the fear has followed her youngest child since the incident. “My daughter, the youngest one, she’s nervous to walk the two blocks to her bus stop.”
The case moved quickly afterward. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested. and NBC10 Boston reported that police said he will be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court on charges of armed robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm. Police are still seeking the second suspect, believed to be either 10 or 11 years old.
Boston Police released pictures and surveillance footage of the two suspects near the lemonade stand, and they’re asking the public for information.
And yet, after a terrifying afternoon, the children didn’t completely shut down the dream. The lemonade stand reopened on Friday evening, and the neighborhood rallied around David and Juliette. Mayor Michelle Wu attended. and Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn said half of the money raised from the stand will be donated to a local organization working to prevent gun violence.
For the family, it’s not a simple return to normal. But for now, it’s a statement: they will keep going.
lemonade stand robbery South Boston Boston Police Department David Byrne Juliette Byrne armed robbery juvenile court gunpoint Apple Pay Michelle Wu Ed Flynn