Ohio police officials are now concerned about the serious risks posed by toy guns, which can endanger the lives of teens and other younger Americans.
To ensure the safety of U.S. residents from toy guns, local law enforcement decided to issue a warning to parents.
Ohio: Police Says Toy Guns Could Endanger Teens
According to WTVG Action News, police authorities became more concerned about the risks of toy guns after the incident in the Anthony Wayne High School football game, which happened on Friday, Oct. 6.
Recently, a 14-year-old boy was arrested by the Whitehouse Police after he was found carrying a toy gun that can transform into a smartphone.
Aside from the fake firearm, law enforcement officers also discovered that the boy was carrying two knives as well. They were able to confiscate these items from the teenager while patrolling the Anthony Wayne High School sports event.
After that, the boy was taken to the Lucas County Juvenile Center. Right now, the 14-year-old is facing multiple charges, such as Inducing Panic and illegal Conveyance of a Deadly Weapon on school grounds.
"Someone could get shot," said Wood County Sheriff Mark Wasylyshyn after the fake toy gun incident.
"If they're going to be carrying around like a cell phone and acting like it's a gun, pulling it out, that's very, very serious because people are not going to know the difference between that toy gun and a real gun," he explained.
Wasylyshyn and other law enforcement officials hope that the incident involving a toy gun could serve as a lesson to parents and children.
The sheriff also issued a warning to parents, saying that they shouldn't let their kids leave their properties while carrying realistic-looking toy firearms.
He added that kids will not think it through because they just want to have fun. But, it is the parent's job to educate their kids about the consequences of their actions and ensure their safety.
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What US Gov Is Doing About Toy Guns
Right now, the U.S. government doesn't ban the use of toy guns in public since they are not real firearms. However, legislation aiming to establish restrictions on toy firearms was recently introduced, as reported by Reuters.
On Feb. 2, Sen. Edward J. Markey and his colleagues announced the legislation called "Protecting Kids from Gun Marketing Act."
This bill aims to require the FTC to prescribe regulations that prohibit the marketing of toy guns and other fake firearms to younger Americans.
To give more idea about the importance of the bill, here are its specific goals:
- Authorize state attorneys general to bring actions for violations of the rule.
- Establish a private right of action for individuals to bring actions for violation of the rule.
- Direct the FTC to promulgate a rule prohibiting the marketing of firearms to minors.
- Require the FTC to report to Congress on enforcement of the rule.
As of press time, there's no update regarding the Protecting Kids from Gun Marketing Act.
