Visible crew/equipment: When Ricky is shot through the chest, the blood pack is visible bulging through his shirt. (01:28:30)
Visible crew/equipment: In the scene after Ricky is killed, Tre is leaving Ricky's house, his girlfriend asks him what happened, Tre's dad pulls up.He is trying to calm down the girlfriend. When he does this, look at the lower left side of the front widow. You can see the boom mic on the window.
Visible crew/equipment: Ricky is getting inside the car with Tre and they are having a conversation about being a virgin. When you see Tre there is a reflection of a camera mounted on Ricky's side of the window.
Answer: It was never said what they stole, just that they were going to go to the store (probably a corner store or convenience store) and they probably stole food. They got caught because they were just kids and not good at stealing or being sneaky. However, they didn't get a 7-year sentence for the theft. It's just that the film jumps to 7 years later and Darrin is now a gang member who has been in and out of jail the whole time. He's just celebrating his release from prison for a different, unknown crime. Chris is in a wheelchair due to a gun shot wound, though it's not stated how or who shot him.
Bishop73
I wouldn't be surprised if Chris shot himself with the gun he alludes to having earlier on in the film when they are still children.