Guns have been found in a high school locker, on a school bus, during traffic stops, and after the robbery of a pizza delivery man. The Minneapolis Star Tribune says that police are concerned about the number of stolen guns recovered in recent weeks. The weapons were taken during brazen “smash and grabs” at stores; investigators are looking to see if the crimes are linked to an aggressive new group of teenagers known as the Tre-Tre Crips.
While the group is not yet officially defined as a gang, its dozen or so members ages 13 to 18 have been the cause of a rising number of aggravated assaults, robberies, and auto thefts since last summer. The teens use guns to settle differences and establish territory, said a high-ranking police official. “They’re very aggressive and not afraid of much,” said Captain Rich Stanek. “They use guns to settle their differences. They come on with a vengeance.” While the Tre-Tre Crips haven’t been officially documented as a gang, “We all pretty much know they are a gang,” said Sgt. Rick Duncan of the department’s new intelligence and gang unit. New gangs want to show their muscle, he said. The state’s Gang Strike Force has a database of more than 10,000 documented gang members. To be documented, a person must meet three of 10 criteria ranging from admitting to gang membership to correspondence with a gang member.