SILVER SPRING — Montgomery County Police charged 17-year-old Devonte Carlton Jr. as an adult following the recovery of a loaded 9mm privately made firearm during an investigation into illegal gambling. The incident occurred on June 19, 2026, at an apartment building in Silver Spring.

Members of the Montgomery County Police Third District Community Action Team were conducting proactive patrols around 8:57 p.m. when a resident reported that several individuals had entered a construction area inside an apartment building in the 800 block of Sligo Avenue. The resident stated that the group was gambling in a stairwell. Officers responded to the report and located a group throwing dice with cash on the ground.

As officers approached, Devonte Carlton Jr. attempted to grab a satchel. An officer secured the bag and observed what appeared to be a firearm inside. Carlton then fled the building, leading police on a chase through the neighborhood. Officers subsequently located Carlton hiding underneath a vehicle in a parking lot in the 700 block of Sligo Avenue.

Investigators determined that the weapon was a loaded 9mm privately made firearm. Devonte Carlton Jr., a resident of Washington, D.C., is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to being under the age of 21. Carlton was taken to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit.

Devonte Carlton Jr. faces charges of fourth-degree burglary, obstructing and hindering, and multiple firearm-related offenses. He is currently being held without bond. The case remains under investigation by the Third District Community Action Team.