LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — After multiple teenagers were arrested in Tuesday's deadly brawl in Scranton, a detention crisis is unfolding in the juvenile court system throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.
That massive brawl in Scranton led to one man being shot and killed.
A teenager identified by police as the shooter has been charged with aggravated assault. Homicide charges have yet to be filed.
This comes as officials now say that a lack of detention beds is contributing to this growing problem of gang-related violence in the city. It's a crisis across 13 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania. This crisis was uncovered and reported extensively by our Action 16 Investigates team in the series "Kids for Cash: The New Crisis."
A teen was pulled from a home along North Main Avenue in Scranton Tuesday night after a massive brawl turned deadly in Scranton.
Kenneth Tapia, 17, is now identified by Scranton police as the shooter and a gang member in this growing problem of teen gang violence across the city.
"Everybody's at risk," said Lackawanna County Commissioner Chris Chermak. "My family, your family, anyone who is on the streets, day or night. It's getting out of control."
After Tapia's arrest, testimony in court revealed Tapia was on juvenile probation at the time of Tuesday's shooting.
"We do know it's a public safety issue, especially in light of what just happened and the shooting of Det. Kyle Gilmartin. So, we do know it's an issue, and we're working hard to address it," said Lackawanna County Commissioner Bill Gaughan.
In January, a man barely out of his teens was arrested for shooting Scranton Police Det. Kyle Gilmartin in the head.
Days later, a teenager was stopped carrying a rifle and heading toward Scranton High School.
Lackawanna County President Judge Trish Corbett says there's no accountability for these teens, and they know it.
"We also need it as incentive to stay out of trouble because word got out, and we heard it all over the place. All the kids were talking, 'No problems, no worries, all they're going to do is put us on electronic monitoring, and we don't have to follow it anyway,'" Judge Corbett said.
Officials say the impact of gang-related violence is heightened because of the lack of detention beds. There are currently no available detention beds across 13 counties in northeastern Pennsylvania and nowhere to house the most violent youth offenders.
Sometimes, kids are placed hours and even states away, or they're sent back home and return to school hallways.
"The judges are giving them a slap on the wrist. They maybe get the bracelet. But they have to send them home. They have no place to send them," Commissioner Chermak said.
In cases like Tapia's, a special hearing was needed to allow him to be placed in an adult facility but that was only allowed because his charges were serious enough for him to be treated as an adult.
The Lackawanna County Prison currently has eight juvenile inmates, and Judge Corbett says the kids are missing out on the rehabilitation they need.
"The first step is detention, and you can't even ferret it out on what's a proper placement for them until you get them off the streets and detain them," said Corbett.
But that adult prison may eventually be more than just a temporary fix.
Lackawanna County officials are working to bring about a dozen beds into an isolated unused wing of the Lackawanna County Prison.
It's a decision still in the works after the state gave them the green light in January to get these juvenile beds up and running.
"A quick solution is to utilize the prison that we have and the availability that we have; we need to do it ASAP," said Chermak.
"That would be a major move, so you have to talk with the unions, and you have to talk with a bunch of different people. So, when we may, in fact, make this move, it's done the right way," Gaughan said.
The wing would adhere to the current laws, keeping the juvenile inmates out of the sight and sound of the adult prisoners.
Judge Corbett says it would also give these kids access to the rehabilitation they need.
"90% or maybe higher of juvenile offenders end up being great kids and having great outcomes. It really is a small percentage of the juveniles that we're looking at. And that's why 12 beds will probably be enough for us."