North Vancouver RCMP seized replica airsoft rifles and handguns from three males in their early 20s, one of whom was dressed in full military camouflage, helmets and soft body armour, role-playing in a ravine adjacent to Larson elementary school around noon on Sunday.
Someone walking by the school spotted the guns and reported the incident to the RCMP.
The six replica guns that were seized fire plastic pellets and are indistinguishable from real firearms as they are missing the bright orange ring, according to North Vancouver RCMP Cpl. Geoff Harder.
“While police officers are aware of the possibility of the guns being replicas, in order to ensure the safety of the public and the police, they are treated as real until confirmed to be fake,” said Harder.
The gun-toting trio appeared to be playing a game in the ravine and did put up a sign near them that said they were using replica guns, however, even up close there is no way you can tell the difference, explained Harder.
“So their intention wasn’t to cause any problems,” said Harder, adding no charges were laid.
Replica firearms should only be used in designated areas such as gun ranges or paintball fields, and while being transported to such areas they should stored in the trunk or out of view of the public, Harder advised.
Sunday’s gun seizure comes after a number of pellet gun incidents on the North Shore in the middle of June. In a more serious case, a housecat was shot in the back at point blank range on West 16th Street in North Vancouver.
Three teenaged boys, meanwhile, were nabbed by police and had their pellet guns confiscated after shooting at cars near Hollyburn Country Club. In that instance, at least one of the boys was wearing a mask.
A week later, West Vancouver police seized a pellet gun from a man at Ambleside Park after responding to a report of a man carrying what appeared to be a partially hidden assault rifle.
