150 Teens And A Gun: 1 Arrested, Weapon Seized When Cops Break Up Massive Party: Police

MOLINE, IL — Police in the Quad Cities recovered a gun and arrested an 18-year-old while breaking up a Halloween party attended by as many as 150 teens over the weekend, authorities said.

Officers were dispatched around 9:15 p.m. Saturday to a home in the 1500 block of 19th Avenue in Moline for a report of underage drinking and a person with a gun, according to police, who said they arrived to find at least 100 teens in the backyard, with many fleeing as they approached.

An officer tried to detain a person with a backpack, but Brando Hodges of Moline intervened and attempted to take the backpack while the other person fled, police said, adding officers took Hodges into custody and secured the backpack.

Inside was a 9mm semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine, according to police, who said Hodges had a replica Glock BB gun on his person that was also recovered.

“The shootings near Illinois Wesleyan and Indiana University this weekend are tragic reminders of how quickly a celebration can turn into a tragedy,” Moline Police Chief Darren Gault said in a news release.

Hodges was arrested on suspicion of aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon and resisting an officer, police said, adding he was taken to Rock Island County Jail pending court proceedings.

The investigation is ongoing, according to authorities, and anyone with information can contact police at 309-797-0401 or Crime Stoppers of the Quad Cities at 309-762-9500, or anonymously submit tips through the P3 Tips app.