FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 21, 2026

OKLAHOMA CITY – Recent acts of violence involving young people in Oklahoma County are shining a light on a growing concern: children and teenagers are getting access to guns and, in some cases, using them to commit deadly acts of violence.

In recent weeks, several young people have been booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in connection with homicide investigations, including an 11-year-old, a 16-year- old and a 17-year-old.

While each case is different, Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna said the recent violence should prompt a larger conversation about how children are getting access to firearms and what adults can do to prevent these tragedies.

“When young people are involved in deadly gun violence, we have to ask ourselves how we got here and what we can do differently,” Behenna said.

Behenna said the focus cannot simply be on what happens after a young person commits a violent crime. It has to be on what can be done before that point to keep children from picking up a gun in the first place.

“By the time a young person is standing in front of a judge facing a serious felony charge, we are already dealing with the aftermath,” Behenna said. “The goal has to be preventing that moment from ever happening.”

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