PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. — On the final weekend of the summer, families expect to head to barbeques, hit up the beach or soak up a few more poolside rays before ushering in a new season. But this Labor Day weekend in Prince George's County, the families of at least nine people were left grieving as their loved ones became yet another example of the growing epidemic of gun violence.
A 15-year-old boy was killed and three other people were badly injured at a convenience store late Saturday. Around the same time, two teens were shot in a movie theater parking lot in Largo. Sunday afternoon, a toddler was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries after being shot inside an apartment in Lanham.
Despite the holiday, Prince George's County leaders couldn't stay silent on Monday, calling for harsher penalties on repeat offenders and accountability for youth crime.
"Somebody has to take responsibility for these armed and dangerous children, and it's not just the police, and it's not just the government," County Executive Angela Alsobrooks said at a press conference held jointly with Police Chief Malik Aziz.
Aziz said juvenile arrests skyrocketed to more than 430 this year alone. But "arresting our way out" isn't the solution, the chief said. According to PGPD statistics, of 15 juveniles recently arrested for carrying guns, all of them had prior records; three of the teens had been arrested four or more times and were still out on the street.
“At this point these kids don’t need a hug," Alsobrooks said. "They need to be held accountable.
Alsobrooks' accountability plan includes enforcing an existing county curfew that has long laid dormant. Anyone under the age of 18 not accompanied by an adult must be in their home between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. during the week and 11:59 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekends, Alsobrooks said. And she's calling on parents and local business owners to step up and help as well, noting that anyone allowing teens to break curfews could face fines between $50 and $250. If parents don’t respond when police call after picking up a violator, Alsobrooks said the kids will be sent to social services.
WATCH: Prince George's County officials hold press conference following violent Labor Day weekend.
In line with her calls for accountability across all departments, Alsobrooks called on the courts, department of juvenile services and the prosecutor's office to release their numbers on pending cases and dispositions. She also called on the police department to publish their arrest numbers on a public dashboard.
"We need our entire criminal justice system to act in full public transparency so we can tackle this issue together," Alsobrooks said.
State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy said it was disappointing to not have been invited to such an important press conference alongside her fellow county leaders, calling it "politics." However, Braveboy was staunch in her defense of her office's work, noting that she has a 98% conviction rate in homicide cases. She added that her office has indicted 294 carjacking cases since 2019, and when discussing juvenile carjackings, she said 58 juveniles had been charged so far this year, and 10 of those cases resulted in placement in a juvenile facility; 23 others were placed on probation and the remaining 25 cases were still pending.
"In order for us to be able to prosecute cases, we have to have justifiable reasons to move forward, to prosecute, which means we have to have probable cause, which means we have to have proof beyond a reasonable doubt," Braveboy said. "In our system of justice, people are presumed innocent ... however we often make recommendations for people to be held without bond because we believe they are a danger to our community."
Both women placed a heavy emphasis on the role of the parent and family support systems in solving youth crime.
"Talk to your kids, know where they are, make sure they aren’t engaging in criminal behavior," Braveboy said. "You cannot assume that they are good. They are being influenced by so many different things ... but you have to take accountability, too."
"I know this isn't the popular thing to say, but the truth of the matter is, it's a fair question: where are their parents?" Alsobrooks added. "Where are the aunties, where are the uncles and other family members who are responsible for them?"
WATCH: Prince George's County State's Attorney holds press conference regarding the adjudication process of youth offenders.