Stockton mayor’s stolen gun used in fatal shooting of teenager, prosecutors say
Reporting from STOCKTON, Calif. — A gun stolen from the mayor’s home whose theft he failed to immediately report was used to kill a 13-year-old boy, prosecutors said.
The San Joaquin County district attorney’s office said in a report that one of two guns stolen from Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva was the weapon in the 2015 killing of Rayshawn Harris, the Stockton Record reported Saturday.
Rayshawn was shot to death Feb. 23, 2015, while he stood in his driveway. The .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol was registered to Silva, according to the report released Friday.
The report on Silva and his stolen gun was released in response to a California Public Records Act request, the Record reported. The district attorney’s office said its prime motivation in releasing the report was “a present request by law enforcement for public assistance†in solving Rayshawn’s killing.
The Record reported on March 25, 2015, that Silva had said his unoccupied home had been robbed a second time the previous day. Silva has said that multiple items, including a gun safe, were stolen from that house.
Silva, 42, has said that another gun theft, which he reported this past February, occurred while he was on a Sister Cities tour of the Philippines that month. It was stolen from the north Stockton rental home where he lives. Silva said in April he had “an idea†who stole that gun.
The gun used in Rayshawn’s slaying was recovered by the Stockton Police Department on June 9 when officers responded to a domestic disturbance in Stockton, according to the district attorney’s office. The other stolen gun has not been recovered.
Silva, who is seeking reelection and has been involved in multiple high-profile controversies, said in a statement he feels terrible about the teen’s death. He added that he couldn’t comment on the report because he hasn’t been provided any details.
“Words cannot describe my sorrow and heartbreak for the victim and his family. I feel terrible, and I feel sick to my stomach,†Silva said. “I only can react to what the news is claiming. Everyone please pray for Stockton.â€
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