Police investigate armed robbery of teenager in Independence Park | FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV

INDEPENDENCE, Missouri – For the second week in a row, Independence police are investigating a reported gun incident at a local park. Again, a minor was the target. This time, the teen’s parents were upset because it took police seven hours to respond to the reported robbery at Hill Park Pavilion near the skate park.

A 17-year-old boy told police he was robbed at gunpoint at the East 23rd Street park around 7:30 p.m. Sunday night. His mother posted a post on social media warning others about the incident.

“When she described what her son had told her, I thought: oh my God, I saw thatat,” a neighbor told FOX4 on Tuesday. However, she said she didn’t realize what was happening at the time and looked away before the incident was over.

According to police, the victim and his family called Independence police about 20 minutes later at 7:54 p.m. Police determined the call was no longer active and there was no longer an active threat. About 7 hours later, at 2:47 a.m. Monday morning, an officer was dispatched to the boy’s home to take a report. Police say officers were dispatched according to their emergency priority.

“That would explain why it took them so long, but seven hours is still a long time to wait,” said skateboarder Eric Laurion.

“It would be one thing if there had been no gun and he had just been robbed, but they had a gun,” the neighbor noted.

The suspect was described as a black man between 6’5″ and 6’1″ tall, with bleached dreadlocks and wearing an Adidas jacket. At the skate park, where a summer of grinding on the rails is just beginning, regulars hope the terrifying crime doesn’t put a stop to the fun.

“The robbery happened not far from the park, so mothers will be scared and some children won’t be able to come,” said skateboarder Braeden Thomas.

“We are a family up here, we teach each other, we work together, and it would be a shame to lose any of that,” Laurion said.

On Sunday evening, May 26, Independence police were called to Rock Creek Trail near Rotary Park when a group of children, including one as young as 6, reported being shot at. Independence police updated FOX4 on Tuesday and reported that they were unable to find any shell casings in the area.