06/10/2026
Over the past week, we have responded to two separate incidents involving high school-aged students carrying airsoft guns that closely resemble real fi****ms. With some removing or painting the orange end tip.
Today, one of those incidents occurred at a local gas station. Thankfully, several citizens stepped in, spoke with the young people involved, offered some life advice, and helped the situation before it became something much more serious.
We want to be clear: what may seem like harmless fun can quickly turn into a dangerous misunderstanding.
Many of today’s airsoft and imitation fi****ms are designed to look nearly identical to real weapons. When these items are used in a way that causes fear or alarm, responding officers and concerned citizens often have only seconds to make decisions based on the information they have at the time.
As parents ourselves, we encourage you to have a conversation with your children tonight.
The reality is this: one poor decision can have life-altering consequences.
To our young people, hear this from us because we care about you: your life matters too much to put yourself in a situation where someone has to guess whether the weapon in your hands is real. A few moments of poor judgment are not worth the risk.
Please help us spread this message. Talk to your children. Know what they are carrying. Encourage good decision-making. If your children have an airsoft weapon, please inspect it to ensure that it does not look like a real weapon.
We want every young person in our community to make it home safely.
