Baltimore Police shoot 13-year-old boy holding replica gun

The shooting occurred while an event marking the one-year anniversary of Freddie Gray's death took place on the other side of town

Kevin Rector/Twitter

Baltimore Police have confirmed that one of their officers has shot a 13-year-old boy outside a youth center who was reportedly holding a replica gun.

Police shot the still-unidentified teenager outside the McKim Community Center, an historic youth centre located in the East Baltimore neighbourhood of Jonestown. No fatalities were reported.

According to the Baltimore Sun’s Kevin Rector, the boy was shot following a chase by two detectives who say him holding what looked like a firearm. Commissioner Kevin Davis said that the police were acting on demand from the city amid an apparent crime spike.

“I have no reason to believe that these officers acted inappropriately in any way,” Mr Davis told press. He added that the boy’s mother had been taken in for questioning. She was not under arrest, the commissioner assured press, disclosing that she knew her son left home with the replica gun.

The Sun’s Justin Fenton reported that the shooting occurred 15 minutes into a West Baltimore event marking the one-year anniversary of the unrest that erupted following the funeral of Freddie Gray, a black man who was killed from spinal injuries sustained while in police custody.

When asked about the significance of the shooting occurring on the anniversary of last year's unrest, Mr Davis responded, "Police officers don't take days off."