Two kids running a lemonade stand in South Boston were robbed at gunpoint, and the 12-year-old’s response to police says everything

A 14-year-old has been arrested in connection with a robbery that left two siblings shaken while running a lemonade stand outside their South Boston home. The victims, 12-year-old David Byrne and his 11-year-old sister Juliette, were targeted by two masked juveniles who approached the stand, demanded money, and fled with a pink cash box. The incident has drawn widespread attention following David’s account to local media.

As detailed by Dexerto, the two suspects were wearing balaclavas when they approached the stand, where the children had been keeping their earnings in plain sight on the table. The pair claimed to have no money and asked about Apple Pay before one of them revealed a gun tucked into his waistband. The suspects then fled the scene with the cash box.

David recounted the incident to CBS News Boston, saying his sister immediately raised her hands. “My sister, she put her hands up, and I said, ‘You can have it,'” he told the outlet, adding, “But after that, I was a little annoyed because we were 12 and 11, and you shouldn’t really do that.” No comment from the arrested suspect or their family has been made public.

The South Boston community rallied quickly around the Byrne family

Following the robbery, neighborhood children helped the siblings paint a brand-new lemonade stand, and a community event was organized to host another sale in their support. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attended the event, and 50 percent of all proceeds were donated to gun violence prevention charities. The City of Boston maintains an Office of Violence Prevention that partners with local organizations to address trauma and support safer environments through initiatives such as the Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative and the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative.

A family friend, Jonathon Raukohl, spoke about the importance of not letting the incident change the children’s routines. “It’s safe, it’s fun and they literally do this every day, and this is one thing that happened,” he said.

He added, “Of course it’s awful, right, but we want them to know we’re not going to stop them playing on the street.” The sentiment reflects a broader push by those close to the family to ensure the children retain their sense of normalcy. Amid a similar incident involving a juvenile arrest in Los Angeles that drew national attention, youth safety has remained a prominent concern across the country.

The city’s annual Summer Safety Plan and its Community Healing Response Network are among the programs being relied upon to support families like the Byrnes in the aftermath of incidents like this. Youth-related crime has surfaced repeatedly in major cities this year, including in Chicago, where a teen-organized street gathering turned violent over Memorial Day Weekend. The arrest of the 14-year-old suspect marks a step toward accountability in the South Boston case.