A toy gun caused a scare at 麻豆精选鈥檚 Orchard Park Shopping Centre Friday night, and police are talking to the parents of the youth who was flaunting it in a public space.
麻豆精选 RCMP Const. Mike Della-Paolera said that around 6 p.m. Feb. 16, police received a report that a young girl was in the area of the bus loop downtown carrying what looked like a real firearm. She was with a group of other youths at the time and hopped on a bus before police could find her there, Della-Paolera said.
Police soon located the girl, who is in her early teens, at the shopping mall.
鈥�(Officers) realized pretty quickly that she was very young, and had a toy with her,鈥� Della-Paolera said. 鈥淲hen we responded and located her it was obvious that she was just being a brat.鈥�
Police confiscated the toy gun without incident, Della-Paolera said.
Della-Paolera said no charges are being pressed, but police are having a conversation with the girl鈥檚 parents advising them that 鈥渟howing off鈥� a toy gun that looks like a real one in public is 鈥渁 bad idea.鈥�
The mall was not locked down, as police quickly determined there was no threat.
Della-Paolera said the 麻豆精选 RCMP will issue more information about the incident 鈥渉opefully next week,鈥� including messaging about why fake guns need to be treated by police as real until proven otherwise.
鈥淒on鈥檛 do this, because the response might not be great,鈥� he said.
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