NEW BEDFORD New Bedford detectives who saw a 16-year-old posing online with what looked like a firearm recovered a loaded ghost gun Monday night, Nov. 9, and the teen faces four gun charges, police said.
The department described the arrest in a release on its official Facebook page Friday, Nov. 13, and did not name the teen.
What police say happened
The investigation began with "proactive monitoring of social media activity" by detectives in the department's Violent Crime Intelligence Unit, known as VCIU, police said. Detectives identified a social media post that showed the 16-year-old "posing with what appeared to be a firearm," according to the release.
At 10:30 p.m. Monday, detectives found the teen in a vehicle parked outside a business on Purchase Street, and they found a spent 9mm shell casing inside the vehicle, police said.
Shortly afterward, detectives were alerted to an incident inside the business involving the same people, the department said. Acting on that information, detectives recovered a discarded Polymer 80 (P80) semiautomatic handgun with a magazine loaded with 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition, according to the release. Police did not describe the incident inside the business or say exactly where the gun was found.
Detectives later found the vehicle again and took the teen into custody, police said. The teen was taken to a Department of Youth Services placement facility in Brockton, according to the release.
The charges
The teen was charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, possession of an untraceable firearm, unlawful possession of a large capacity feeding device and possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, the department said. The charges are accusations, and the teen is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
State law defines an untraceable firearm as one "that has not been serialized" or whose serial number has been removed, defaced, altered, obliterated or mutilated, under Chapter 140, Section 121 of the General Laws. The same section defines a large capacity feeding device to include any magazine that holds, or can readily be converted to hold, more than 10 rounds of ammunition. Police said the magazine in this case held 15.
Court records of juvenile delinquency cases, other than youthful offender cases brought by indictment, are withheld from public inspection except with a judge's consent, under Chapter 119, Section 60A, so the case may not appear in public court records.
What happens next
The release did not say when the teen will appear in court. Police asked anyone with information to send tips anonymously by calling 508-99-CRIME or through the department's website at newbedfordpd.com/report.
Label: Reported by us, from the town's posted records.
Notes
Every fact about the arrest comes from the New Bedford Police Department's own release on its official Facebook page, which was up by Friday afternoon, Nov. 13, and which we read in full and saved word for word that evening. It is the police account, and the teen has not had a chance to answer the charges in court. The definitions and the rule on juvenile records come from the text of state law on the Legislature's website, read Nov. 13. We checked each date and weekday against a calendar: the release's Monday is Nov. 9. The photo is the department's own and carries its badge; our copy came from New Bedford Guide's Nov. 13 report on the arrest. We do not name juveniles charged with crimes, and the release named no one. Not heard: the release named no lawyer and gave no court date, and because this story reports the department's own release, South Coast 360 sent no questions for it.
Corrections
No corrections to this story. If something here is wrong, tell us. Every correction is dated on the story and listed in our public log.
Sources (4)
- New Bedford Police Department, "Police recover loaded ghost gun; juvenile arrested," release on its official Facebook page (up by Fri. Nov. 13, 2026, afternoon)The VCIU social media investigation, the post showing the 16-year-old, the teen found at 10:30 p.m. Nov. 9 in a vehicle parked outside a business on Purchase Street, the spent 9mm casing, the incident in the business, the discarded P80 handgun and its 15-round magazine, the arrest, the four charges, the DYS placement in Brockton and the tip line. Read in full and saved word for word Nov. 13, 2026, about 8:45 p.m.
- New Bedford Guide, report on the arrest (Nov. 13, 2026, 5:18 p.m.)Our copy of the department's photo of the handgun, magazine and ammunition, which carries the New Bedford police badge. Read Nov. 13, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 140, Section 121Definitions of untraceable firearm and large capacity feeding device. Read Nov. 13, 2026.
- Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 119, Section 60ADelinquency case records, other than youthful offender cases brought by indictment, withheld from public inspection except with a judge's consent. Read Nov. 13, 2026.