A group of teens got off with a warning when one was found with an imitation handgun inside Metrotown mall in Burnaby, police said.
The airsoft gun closely resembling a handgun, said Burnaby RCMP, was seized by police after the group was seen “shooting gel paintball rounds inside the food court area of Metropolis at Metrotown.”
Police say the detachment’s community response team was patrolling inside the mall the evening of April 21 when they saw the group of teens shooting the gel rounds near other mall patrons.
Several teens were taken into custody where police found and seized the imitation handgun from on of the teens. They were released with warnings after officers spoke with their parents and guardians, but they have been banned from the mall by security.
“This reckless behaviour created a dangerous situation for everyone in the area. Not only were these youth putting members of the public at risk by shooting gel paintball rounds in an indoor public space, there was also an airsoft gun that closely resembled a real handgun, which creates additional concerns for the public and for police,” said Cpl. Mike Kalanj with Burnaby RCMP.
Burnaby RCMP is reminding people that imitation firearms, which include airsoft guns, bb guns and pellet guns, “can pose a real risk to safety as they can be incredibly difficult to distinguish from authentic firearms.”
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A group of teens got off with a warning when one was found with an imitation handgun inside Metrotown mall in Burnaby April 21, 2023, police said. (Burnaby RCMP)
