A teen wandering Park Royal Shopping Centre brandishing a fake firearm is lucky to be getting off with a stern warning from police.
West Vancouver Police were called to the south mall on the evening of July 5 after mall security reported a teenager with a pistol tucked into the waistband of her pants.
Officers found the suspect and safely retrieved a pellet gun. Under questioning, the 13-year-old girl told police she was carrying the fake gun because she wanted to look like "a thug." An older sibling purchased the pistol for the wannabe-gangster before she took to the mean streets of Canada's wealthiest community.
It turned out a close friend of the teen was also packing heat, albeit fake, which was also seized by police and destroyed.
Following the incident, police issued a warning they will treat reports of anyone carrying a gun in public as a threat. Results can range from criminal charges to the possibility of police unholstering their real weapons, putting both officers and the public at risk.
Police are urging parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of sporting replica guns in public.
