DENVER — Even if they aren’t real guns, they can look like one.
Police say replica guns like airsoft or BB guns can be mistaken for real weapons in certain situations, leading to a possibly dangerous or deadly outcome.
Officers responded to McGlone Academy in Denver Wednesday afternoon following reports of a student with a gun. When they arrived, Denver Police said they found a student outside the school with an airsoft gun.
No shots were fired and nobody was injured. DPD arrested the student for investigation of Felony Menacing and Threats to Injure.
Arvada Police were not involved in the Denver investigation but were willing to help explain why the public should be extraordinarily careful with replica guns.
“We need to treat any kind of weapon as if it’s a real weapon,” said Officer Sara Horan.
And because some replicas can look so real, especially from a distance or in a high-stress situation, officers have to respond as if it's real.
“Because of how quick our suspect [can] make that decision to kill someone, or kill an officer, … we have to be that quick in our decision to save someone’s life.”
Only one of the four guns in the photo below is real. Could you tell the difference?
Horan said some people assume replicas always have an orange tip or feature bright colors to indicate they aren’t real. Not so, she said.
Even firearms-trained officers can have difficulty telling the difference until they can physically handle the weapon, which is why Horan said anyone who owns a replica gun shouldn’t treat it like a toy.
“Use them in the proper way, or in the proper arena,” she said. “We shouldn’t be using these in a public place. We should never be bringing them to a school, shouldn’t be bringing them to a police department or park where we are messing around shooting each other with them.”
There are plenty of safe places to handle and shoot replica guns, reminded Kyle Raley.
He’s a manager at American Paintball Coliseum in Denver, where people can come and play on paintball and airsoft courses.
“Working with replica guns it’s important to respect what they are,” he said. “And places like this exist for you to come and out and still do that form of entertainment without jeopardizing your safety and concerning other people.”
Raley said visitors to his facility go through a safety orientation, have to wear safety goggles, and have to keep barrel bags over the front of the airsoft guns when not on the course.
“[There are] people here that have structure and a system to make sure players are playing safe and properly at all times,” he said. “We’re here to advocate the proper ways to play paintball and airsoft, and provide a facility that’s professional in doing that.”
Arvada police encourage safekeeping and safe handling of replica guns, and firearm education for anyone using them.
People should treat replica guns like the real thing because law enforcement certainly will if they are called to respond, Officer Horan said.
“Your child could have their life ended by bringing this to a public arena,” she said. “For law enforcement, that’s milliseconds that we have to make that decision. We’re not going to be able to figure out if this is a replica gun or a real gun, so that’s your life and your loved one’s life to take into account.”
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