Red Dead Redemption 2 Rhodes Gunsmith – Basement Prisoner

Rhodes gunsmith basement captive is one of the side business robberies in Red Dead Redemption 2. Unlike the others, there’s little financial incentive to complete this one, but sheer curiosity will push you to investigate further. A lot of players have spotted the boy in the basement, being held prisoner and forced to wear a sailor suit. If you’re one of them, and you’re wondering how to rescue the boy, you’ll be happy to hear our Red Dead Redemption 2 Rhodes gunsmith basement prisoner guide will explain the whole thing.

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red dead redemption 2 rhodes basement prisoner

How to rescue basement captive from Rhodes gun shop in RDR2?

First of all, you’ll need to talk to the prisoner. When standing in front of the gun shop, go around it to the right. You’ll see a basement window a bit above ground, and the captive will call you over. Talk to him and he’ll tell you the gunsmith has him chained to the bed. He’ll beg you to set him free.

Once you’re done talking, go into the shop and focus on the gunsmith. Pull out your gun, then select the option to rob basement. He’ll lead you down the stairs into the cell, where you’ll get the entire sad story if you’re willing to listen. Shoot the chain holding the boy, and he’ll be able to leave.

red dead redemption 2 how to rescue prisoner from rhodes gunsmith basement

After you’re done listening to the two, you can grab anything you want from both the basement and the shop without worrying about bounty. There’s a Lancaster Repeater in the basement, along with some useless stuff. You can also rob the register and nobody will care. You’ll probably feel at least a bit dirty for doing so – this is genuinely one of the game’s saddest and most disturbing stories, and it’s hard not to feel sorry for everyone involved.

Rhodes gunsmith prisoner dead

A number of folks have reported finding the prisoner dead in the cell after they try to rescue him. This only seems to happen if you put off saving him. Most of the players who experienced this issue didn’t rescue him at first, because they couldn’t use guns in Rhodes because of the lockdown. However, the gunsmith’s shop is the only place where you can draw your weapon freely, even during the lockdown.

There doesn’t seem to be anything you can do to make things right if this happens, but you can prevent it by rescuing the boy as soon as he asks for your help.


If you end up getting stuck at another point, you might want to check out some of the other guides we have. We've written about mysteries like the missing person Gavin, the Rhodes Gunsmith prisoner, the locked door at Valentine doctor. We also have instructional guides that show how to rob stores without getting bounty or where to sell jewelry and gold bars. If it's collectibles or key items you're after, we've found all the Penny Dreadful comic books, Chick's treasure map location, or that famous pipe for Dutch. Finally, if you don't care to explore the map yourself, you could take a look at our Watson's Cabin and Catfish Jackson's Homestead locations guides. In the latest Red Dead Online Moonshiners Update you'll have a chance to find Navy Revolver and Best Shack Locations.


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42 COMMENTS

  1. T
    Tucci

    When I hold the gun up to the gun shop owner the rob option doesn’t come up. Should I shoot him instead? It’s most likely too late to do anything since the kid doesn’t come up to the opening anymore but the question mark is still there.

  2. A
    Amr Anwar

    I can’t find the prisoner even i’m standing besides the gunsmith’s window

  3. P
    Pierre

    I draw my gun at shop owner, and he start draw gun at me.
    So i killed him, and after that 40 cops.
    Cost me $150+400 for that misstake
    Think i will continue the game without help

  4. B
    BuddyIII

    Killed the shop owner by accident @ 1st attempt. Had to wait for days. 2nd attempt: took the shop owner downstairs, freed the prisoner, took the money from the register, and now there is a $100 bounty.

  5. T
    theStitchpanda

    Went to shoot the chains off the guy, but apparently I killed him. I’m pissed off.

    1. Z
      Zello

      I kill the boy accidentally when trying to shoot off the chain and I could load a save before that that wasn’t way back or after the event. It sucks. But hopefully I won’t botch it my next play through.

  6. D
    Don

    I shot both of them, looted the gunsmith and robbed the register then left by the side door with no law or bounty.

  7. F
    Franz

    I’m with John Marston and the question mark is there, but the boy does not show up….?

  8. B
    Bob

    I managed to get the boy free and left the gunsmith alive. Someone heard the shoot and the law came. I stayed in the basement until the law moved down the street. I crouched down and creeped upstairs. Stayed crouched down and exited the store after dark doesn’t take long. went out back and whistled for my horse. Got on and rode away. 10.00 bounty because the lady I rode past Identified me because I forgot to wear my mask. Took me 3 tries to be able to draw my weapon in the store but it worked out.

  9. S
    Sadie Milton

    i already have the lancaster repeater before this, this is my 4th playthrough, what gun do you get in replacement of that if you already have it? i cant remember

  10. W
    Will Gibb

    Is this in story mode or online mode?

  11. J
    Jack

    I am too late to save the boy, he is dead. Can I do anything else

  12. M
    MARCUS

    Talk to the boy..
    Go inside and hold RT, then click up on the dpad to rob basement..

    Question then both… I tried to hog tie the gunsmith, didn’t work. He started to shoot me so I stabbed him dead.. Shot the chains attached to the wall, boy runs out… There is a rifle in the basement to steal along with a box with a coin bag. Cash register had $20 in it. I wore a mask the whole time.. No bounties. No issues. Walked away clean.

  13. S
    simon2805

    Just discovered the kid on my second playthrough. Went in without a mask, took the rifle – no bounty. Left both alive. Emptied the register and took everything I could upstairs, no bounty, no lawmen, nothing. Only negative honour – but I’m playing as a stone cold bastard anyway.

  14. A
    Arum

    I have missed this side mission, now I am at chapter 6 now I am unable to find the boy in basement. Is there any option to find the boy.

  15. D
    Ds

    I robbed the gunsmith first then it wouldn’t let me gp downstairs and now the store is locked out. How do I get it to open again?

  16. J
    Jack Fowers

    If you kill and loot the gunsmith at the end of the mission he drops a picture drawn by his son, nice little detail that was thrown in that a lot of people might miss

  17. R
    Retro

    I got down to the basement, tried shooting the shackles off and they wouldn’t break. Someone outside heard the gun shots and a bunch of townspeople tried to kill me, then I became wanted. The boy got up and ran. Can I still go back?

  18. C
    Charles Hedden

    I go to the gunshop and the boy is dead what do i do to rescue the boy does he come back or what

  19. D
    Daniel Lee

    Do it before you leave the overlook nn u can use guns

  20. T
    Tonywebb

    I failed to get the kid out now there’s a X showing he’s dead. What now? How do I get the rifle?

  21. S
    SGTHince

    The law did come after me and I shot nobody or anything my bounty was for disturbing the peace

  22. M
    Mboxer511

    Make sure you have your mask on before entering. Also you can find some money and a Lancaster Repeater in the basement, each in separate boxes. You can rob the register upstairs but DO NOT ROB ANY AMMO. As soon as I took a box of ammo I lost an honor point and then got a bounty.

  23. Q
    Qman

    Do you have to be a certain level because the boy is not there when I go over to the window.

  24. B
    Billy

    I saved the kid then hogtied the gunsmith and tried taking him to the sheriff’s office but he just disappeared off my shoulder.

  25. A
    arhur

    I freed the boy from the basement but then I loaded up a save from right before I saved him and now it says hes dead and I can’t do it…

  26. H
    Hans

    @Jack Hindall: I am having the same problem…

  27. J
    Jack Hindall

    The boy is dead. Can I still get in the basement?

  28. J
    Jim Sandy

    Ha ha ha, I listened to the sob story and shot the kid.

  29. A
    Angel Mendoza

    This worked for me when I dawned a mask in the store, only then I was able to draw a weapon.

  30. M
    MarduK

    Hey, as I thought I could not use weapons in Rhodes, I left the prisoner in the basement for later and now he is dead. Can I still enter the basement ?

    1. R
      Reagent-52

      You go in the gun store target the guy like you’re going to talk and you get an option to point your weapon then you can enter the basement

  31. L
    larry

    he wont spawn for me

  32. G
    GadgetGirl

    Taking anything upstairs is still considered robbery. Some guy walked in as I was opening the register -after business hours, too! – and before I could even get to the door I had a $15 bounty. A hoard of lawmen spawned, tackled and killed Arthur even though he never drew his weapon. ‘Surrender’ my asterisk.

    1. R
      Rich

      I don’t know if it was patched or I got lucky or what but after I got down stairs, killed the gunsmith, and freed the guy I went upstairs and not only cleared out the register but stole every item on the store shelves with not even an investigation nobody cared I completely cleared the gun store out. You will get negative honor for every item stolen so if you are trying to have high honor might not be a good idea to clear the place out but people like me who don’t care about honor being good or can bad it’s lucrative to do this one.

      1. S
        Sam

        For me the guy in the basement talked to me then I went inside and all i could do was kill the gunsmith so i shot him got lodging for a day then walked up to the door and did wait for morning then went. the kid was back so I went in put on my mask and then I could get to the basement

  33. M
    Mae

    My question is whete does the kid go? I wasny able to catch up to him to talk and now i lost him

  34. N
    Nawn

    But we can’t use guns in Rhodes

    1. J
      Jennifer

      You’ll have the “aim weapon” option while in the gunsmiths store

    2. R
      Rank_Stranger88

      Well I stumbled on the kid first and I tried to get the rob basement and wouldn’t pop up. So went out came back in and guess double tapped R2 and shot the Gunsmith he ran off but nothing happend so I went and got a room went bk in morning he was back and finally did it lol without even restarting after shooting him in gut the day before. To beat it all I killed the gunsmith with a knife also and nothing happend as far as law lol. I went bk waited for morning and there was a guy on the porch shot another guy by accident that’s when I went bknin and robbed basement. I just xant believe the law didnt come after me when I killed him with knife and then waited til morning shot him in gut and then next day after renting room he was back lol

    3. S
      Sean Rallis

      You can use guns in Rhodes all you want before chapter 3.