Mt. Pleasant school goes into lockdown over Airsoft pistol

[gryphon]

Shortly before 11 a.m. Tuesday morning, Renaissance Public School Academy was placed on lockdown briefly when police were called to investigate a report of a student showing a gun to a classmate. The fourth-grader had brought an Airsoft gun to school, and when another student reported it, the gun was taken from the student and secured in the school office. Principal Lisa Bergman said at no time were students in danger, but some parents opted to pick up their children and take them home early. Although the gun was determined to not be a threat, and the 10-year-old student didn’t brandish the weapon or make any threats, the sheriff said they take such incidents seriously, and a report will be sent to the County Prosecutor for review.

http://www.themorningsun.com/general-news/20140204/gun-reported-at-isabella-school

[TheQ]

Sent to the prosecutor? For what crime? Was a crime committed here?

MCL 750.237a? Can we call an airsoft a "weapon"?

[mosnar87]

MIPOT, Minor In Possession Of Toy. 

[Ezerharden]

Sent to the prosecutor? For what crime? Was a crime committed here?

MCL 750.237a? Can we call an airsoft a "weapon"?

Possible. I am not sure of the statute I read but it had something to do with a firearm being anything using expanding gas (gunpowder), compressed air, or electric device. Paintball guns for example are technically "firearms" because they use compressed gas to propel the paintball. Airsoft guns generally use either compressed gas or an electric device.

[Jeff]

All the ones I have seen even with electronic gearboxes pull back a spring and are propelled by a spring piston system.

[TheQ]

Possible. I am not sure of the statute I read but it had something to do with a firearm being anything using expanding gas (gunpowder), compressed air, or electric device. Paintball guns for example are technically "firearms" because they use compressed gas to propel the paintball. Airsoft guns generally use either compressed gas or an electric device.

Under MI law is has to have a bore > .17" or rifling to be a "firearm". So I suppose a 6mm BB would qualify......

[gryphon]

Under MI law is has to have a bore > .17" or rifling to be a "firearm". So I suppose a 6mm BB would qualify......

Nope, you know that airsoft guns are not classified as firearms, nor regulated by MI as such.

And my Airsoft is spring loaded.

[SD40VE]

yeah the student should only face punishment from school and school board for this. anything resembling a weapon could be grounds for expulsion, lots of kids get in trouble for airsoft guns. many even modify them to get rid of the "blaze orange" barrel. my neighbors son did that. he knows i OC. i brought the poiunt up to him that someone who doesnt know its a toy because you painted the orange barrel will end up shooting you thinking it is real and you pose a serious threat. he ended up buying another one and leaving the orange barrel visible this time

[part deux]

Good idea, having parents showing up in the middle of a "crisis" to take their children home.  And yes i realize this was an incredible over reaction on the schools part, but in a real emergency, I'm sure the police would love additional undefined people running around.

[CV67PAT]

A nearby Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police officer was first to arrive at the school, which was in lockdown at roughly the same time parents were arriving to pick up children from a pre-school program.

That officer determined that it was an Airsoft gun, which had an orange cap on the barrel to indicate is is not a real firearm, the sheriff said.

Nobody else in the school could determine that it had an orange cap on the barrel thus indicating it was not a real firearm?

[SD40VE]

Nobody else in the school could determine that it had an orange cap on the barrel thus indicating it was not a real firearm?

its probably S.O.P to call the popo when anything that looks like a weapon or could possibly be used as a weapon is found on school grounds.

[Jeff]

Kids get suspended for having guns and ammo magazine.  The schools are just nucken futs.

[gryphon]

Kids get suspended for having guns and ammo magazine.

Did that really happen somewhere? Google isn't showing me anything.

[SD40VE]

yeah idk about that one i was reading guns and ammo in highschool and never had any issues

[Jeff]

Did that really happen somewhere? Google isn't showing me anything.

A friend of mine in jr high used to be really big into guns.  And he would bring in gun magazines to read during class downtime.  Teachers used to give him hell about it and tell him he can not read that in the classrooms.  Then it turned into, he isn't allowed to read them during lunch, to he isn't allowed to bring them into the school period.

Some teachers weren't bothered by it, and he would read them anyways in those classes until the administration found out that he was still bringing in gun related reading material.  They were afraid that because he read so much into guns that he might start bringing guns in and shoot people.  He then disappeared for a week and when he came back he never brought in another gun magazine.  He said he didn't get suspended, but I'm pretty sure he did with all the crap the school had given him over his magazines.

He was one of my friends that I spoke with every day and I had a couple classes with him.  Sometimes one of our teachers would even say they wanted to look into his backpack to make sure he wasn't bringing those magazines in.  And this was in like......early mid 90s.