LAST Sunday (July 19), the North Vancouver RCMP seized six replica airsoft guns from two males and a female after receiving a report of a male dressed in full military camouflage, including a helmet and soft body armour, firing airsoft guns outside an elementary school.

The initial report indicated that the guns were airsoft. However when police arrived, they found that the guns were replicas that were indistinguishable from real firearms.  Among the guns seized were both handguns and rifles (see photo).

“Replica guns like these are indistinguishable from the real thing,” said Cpl Geoff Harder. “While they may seem harmless, they cause panic and will elicit a police response.”

The police response to such incidents will be based upon the totality of the circumstances. While police officers are aware of the possibility of the guns being replicas, in order to ensure the safety of the public and the police, they are treated as real until confirmed to be fake.

Replica firearms should only be used in designated areas such as gun ranges or paintball fields. While being transported to such areas, they should stored in the trunk or out of view of the public.