A group of teens who were found shooting gel paintball rounds inside the food court area of Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby were given a warning by the police after one of the teens was discovered with an imitation handgun. The Burnaby RCMP, who were patrolling inside the mall on the evening of April 21, seized the airsoft gun which closely resembled a handgun. The police found the group of teens near other mall patrons and took several of them into custody. The parents and guardians of the teens were spoken to by the officers, and the group was released with warnings. However, security has banned the teens from the mall.
According to Cpl. Mike Kalanj with Burnaby RCMP, the actions of the teens were reckless and created a dangerous situation for everyone in the area. He emphasized that not only were the youth putting members of the public at risk, but the presence of an airsoft gun that closely resembled a real handgun was an additional concern for both the public and police.
The Burnaby RCMP is reminding people that imitation firearms, including airsoft guns, bb guns, and pellet guns, can be incredibly difficult to distinguish from authentic firearms, and therefore pose a real risk to safety.