A 16-year-old East St. Louis boy has been charged with possession of a machine gun.

The juvenile was charged in a Delinquency Petition with possession of the gun.

The charge alleges that on Jan. 11 near State and Market streets in Granite City, the teen possessed a handgun that was modified with a device that made it capable of automatically firing more than one shot by a single function of the trigger.

Granite City police investigated the case.