The mayor of Stockton, Calif., is pushing back against allegations of negligence after a gun stolen from his home was used in the fatal shooting of a 13-year-old boy, according to reports.
The San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office stated Friday that one of two guns registered to Mayor Anthony Silva and stolen in separate incidences was identified as the murder weapon in the Feb. 23, 2015, fatal shooting of Rayshawn Harris, CBS News reported.
Prosecutors said Silva failed to immediately report the 40-caliber semi-automatic pistol as stolen from his unoccupied home. On March 22, 2015, Silva reported the gun missing -- 27 days after the teen was shot while standing in his driveway.
Silva, who is running for re-election, told FOX40 “it’s just silly” for people to present him as a negligent gun owner, insisting he stores his trigger-locked weapons in a closet and out of the reach of his young son.
“Most gun owners, unless you’re sleeping with your weapon at nighttime or unless you’re a public safety officer, chances are you’re not checking your gun every single day,” Silva said in the Monday interview, admitting he didn’t check on his weapons daily.
The Stockton Police Department recovered the gun while investigating a domestic dispute on June 9. Silva previously stated he felt “sick to his stomach” about the death, according to CBS News.
Silva, 42, refused to address timeline gaps, citing an ongoing investigation, but asserted, “as soon as I realized that my gun was missing, and I wasn’t going to be able to recover it, I reported it.”
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