From Staff Reports

ASHEVILLE — A child has been charged after being apprehended with a gun at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center pool July 1, the Asheville Citizen Times reported on July 10.

There were no injuries reported. The public pool was closed for two days following the incident with city officials citing a recent increase of "extreme behavior issues."

Following consultation with the Department of Juvenile Justice, Asheville police spokesperson Rick Rice said July 10 that the child was charged with going armed to the terror of the public, carrying a concealed gun and possession of handgun by a minor.

Rice said that APD Capt. Joe Silberman “stated that he and the investigators were particularly disturbed by the child’s age.”

The ACT said the newspaper asked for the child’s age, but Rice said the determination to release that information is at the discretion of Silberman who has “opted not to disclose that.”

“Ultimately, it is the Department of Juvenile Justice that files the charges, Rice said,” the ACT. stated. “He said thus far, no charges have been filed against an adult, but the investigation is continuing.

“The pool reopened July 4 and is back to previously scheduled operating hours for the rest of the summer, although it will now have an unarmed security guard daily through private contractor Strategic Security Corp., a New York-based firm.”

The pool at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, the first new public pool in the city since 1970, opened on Aug. 2, 2023.