Boy (13) holding toy gun shot dead by police

http://www.independent.ie/world-new...ing-toy-gun-shot-dead-by-police-29696208.html

California sheriff's deputies have shot and killed a 13-year-old boy after repeatedly telling him to drop what turned out to be a toy gun.







Two deputies in Santa Rosa saw Andy Lopez, pictured, walking with what appeared to be a high-powered weapon.
The replica gun resembled an AK-47, according to a photograph released by the sheriff's office. Deputies learned after the shooting that it wasn't an actual firearm.
Rodrigo Lopez identified the boy as his son, Andy, to a newspaper and said the teenager was carrying a toy gun that belonged to a friend.
It wasn't clear whether the teenager pointed the replica assault rifle at the deputies or made any type of threatening gesture. The sheriff's office referred calls to the Santa Rosa Police Department, which did not immediately return a call for comment.
A sheriff's spokesman said in a statement that the deputies fired several rounds from their handguns immediately after issuing the orders to drop the rifle. A neighbour in the area, Brian Zastrow, told the 'Santa Rosa Press Democrat' he heard seven shots.
The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.
The deputies, who have not been identified, have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard after a shooting, the spokesman added.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24648974

This shows the 'gun'.
Doesn't look like a replica to me.

 

He's no 13

 

I wish I looked that old when I was 13. * *.

 

What the * is a 13 year old boy walking about carrying toy guns? A bit old for that. Madness.

 

True if he was in manchester or Liverpool he would have a real one by that age !!!!!

 

Playing at war is all the rage these days didn't you know? Call of duty, paintball ect, its hardly uncommon.

 

Another tragedy but one which will add nothing to the debate on gun control.

 

You've obviously never watched an American film. Folk at high school look about 30

 

I would have shot the * as well. Does this look like a 'toy' to anyone else? Looks like a replica Airsoft. Almost indistinguishable from the real deal unless your holding it.

 

That looks like a real AK-47 to me... another tragedy involving guns in America.

 

To be fair, that '13 year old with a toy' looks awfully like a 25 year old with an AK47 :smiley-laughing002:

 

It's a shame that this 13 year old has died because he was * about. Common sense tells you that walking about with a replica assault rifle, a few days after yet another shooting at a school was always going to end badly.

Feel sorry for the officers. They'll have to live with that for the rest of their lives.

R.I.P. Young man

 

I just wonder why the * he didn't drop it. If a couple of trigger happy officers had me at gunpoint I would have dropped it at once. Wouldn't want them to swiss cheese my *.

 

Sad this, really not sure what else the police could have done, as the Ak looks real enough in the pic and at a distance it would look even more so. Why the "toy" makers need to make these things look as realistic as possible amazes me
Such a waste of a young life RIP.

 

Kid was probably suicidal. Old enough to know walking about with a realist gun could only end in trouble. Shame though.

 

Can understand why they shot him. The gun looks real and the boy didn't look 13.
Feel sorry for the parents and for the cops too. It must be horrible knowing you accidentally killed a young boy.


RIP

 

They are not 'toys'.
They are designed to look as close to the real thing as possible. They even use metal and real wood in good replicas.
They are made to look like the real thing so that people can dress up and run around a field/forest all day firing tiny plastic balls at each other.

We used to use sticks and tree branches with our own rat-a-tat-tat noises in my day :smiley-laughing002:

 

Peter kay noise going threw my head reading that * . Shame but as said dont know why he would not put the gun down silly