'We Need Everyone's Help': Malden Police Share Warning On Replica Guns

MALDEN, MA — Malden Police recently called on the community to help keep realistic-looking BB guns out of the hands of children after police said a officer recently confiscated a BB gun from a teen that closely resembled a real gun.

Police shared a photo of the BB gun on Thursday morning.

“This is not the first time we have confiscated a BB gun from a minor, and we fear it will not be the last,” police said.

“We need everyone's help to prevent young people from obtaining ‘replica’ firearms, especially if they’re going to be out in a public setting,” police continued.

Malden Police Chief Glenn Cronin described the department's most recent run in with a replica gun, saying an officer had been conducting a traffic stop around 10:30 p.m. on the night of the incident when he heard what he thought were "three loud pops."

Cronin said the officer ended the traffic stop to investigate the source of the sound, soon coming upon a group of teens.

"One of them kind of took off from him," Cronin said.

The officer later caught up to the teen, who he found to have a BB gun resembling a Glock pistol, according to Cronin.

"It's a dangerous thing to be walking around with," Cronin continued.

Cronin said police train on topics including deescalation and split-second decision making in Malden.

Police and others across the country have warned about cases where officers say it can be difficult to tell the difference between a real gun and a replica version, though.

A Washington Post investigation in 2016 found 86 cases of police shooting and killing people wielding replica guns between 2015 and 2016.

Congress acted in the 1980s in part to require bright orange barrel markers on the tips of all toy guns. The law didn't apply to BB guns, pellet guns and antique gun replicas, though, as noted by the Post.

Studies have further questioned the effectiveness of legislation to date.

Where there have been some efforts to pass new legislation regarding replica guns, proponents of the products have argued for continued access

In Massachusetts, people over the age of 18 are able to freely own and carry a BB gun under Massachusetts state law, though they are not allowed to use such a weapon on or around a public way. Individuals under the age of 18 can only carry a BB gun if they are in the presence of an adult, with some exceptions.

Cronin said the teen police recently found with a BB gun in Malden was 14-years old. He faced no formal consequences beyond the confiscation of his BB gun, Cronin said, since his mother was nearby.

While penalties are limited to a $100 fine, Cronin said the teen would have been charged under state law if he was alone.

Police did speak to the teen's mother in this case, Cronin said, about dangers associated with realistic gun replicas.