Teen finds gun at Livonia school bus stop that was dropped in robbery getaway

LIVONIA, Mich. (WJBK) - Fourteen-year-old Alex Valenti was out for a bike ride when he saw something disturbing.

"I was kinda scared," he admits. "I saw a gun, so I called Grandma. She came to look at it and she called the cops."

"I was glad the way he handled it, not touching it and calling me right away," his grandma, Roxanne Valenti, says.

Alex says police thanked them for calling to make sure little kids didn't touch it.

The gun was found lying at a school bus stop in Livonia at the intersection of Beacon and Stark - which is right across the street from The Gun Barn.

Turns out, the gun was dropped last week after a robbery had taken place at The Gun Barn. Police say four men wearing gloves and masks smashed through the front glass door then stole 23 handguns.

Livonia police say Alex found a gun that was dropped during the getaway.

"A little tiny kid could've picked it up and shot himself," Alex says.

A similar robbery of more than 30 guns happened at the same shop in April. Six people have been arrested.

On this latest robbery, the owner of The Gun Barn, Dan Hedeen, shared in statement, "As long as the justice system does not prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, this will keep happening to gun stores."

He also says he was in the process of upgrading security measures when Thursday's robbery happened, adding that he will also be installing concrete posts and shatterproof windows in the coming days.

Alex's grandmother says some neighbors are asking for more, though.

"Everybody says they're going try to get a petition going to try to get it out of there because it's happened twice, it being broken into," she says.