The boy, who will be charged with bringing a weapon to school, was charged because the school district has a "zero tolerance policy" regarding weapons on school grounds.
Andy J. Banner, manager of the Army Barracks store in West Springfield, shows an Airsoft pistol. A child in Palmer recently was caught with an Airsoft gun on a school bus.PALMER – A 9-year-old pupil at Old Mill Pond Elementary School will be summoned to Juvenile Court on a charge of bringing a weapon to school after he brought an Airsoft toy gun on the school bus last week.
The boy was charged because the school district has a “zero tolerance policy” regarding weapons on school grounds. The toy is still considered a weapon because it “fires,” Police Chief Robert P. Frydryk said.
“It was inappropriate to bring it to school ... Anything that can shoot a projectile is considered a weapon,” Frydryk said.
Frydryk said the charge the student is facing is a misdemeanor, and said he doubts the child will be found delinquent, or guilty, by the court.
“That’s not going to happen in this case. We have to file the charge because it is not appropriate to bring any kind of weapon on school grounds. Nobody, neither us, or the school administration, thinks he brought it to school to harm anyone,” Frydryk said.
The chief said the boy told police that he realized he had the gun in his jacket pocket and was putting it in his backpack when another student on the bus spotted it.
The boy then shot himself in the leg with the plastic gun to prove it wasn’t real, Frydryk said. The gun fires soft plastic pellets and retails for approximately $20.
The incident happened on May 5. When police arrived, the boy was already in the principal’s office. Frydryk said the boy told authorities that he used the plastic gun the day before and forgot he had it on him.
“No one was in danger. It had nowhere near the velocity of a BB gun,” Frydryk said.
Superintendent Gerald A. Fournier said it is a “school issue” and the administration has taken appropriate action “based on the policies and procedures we have in place.” Fournier refused to say more, citing confidentiality issues involving the juvenile student.
The district’s weapons policy states: “in the interest of safety and security of all students, school personnel, and school property, all weapons are prohibited from school grounds, buildings, and activities. The only exception to this policy will be police and military authorities who may carry weapons during the course of their duties. The term ‘weapon’ includes, but will not be limited to, a firearm, knife, object, or article that can be used or is intended to be used by a person to injure another.”
Said Old Mill Pond Elementary School Principal Susan J. Farrell, “We take the safety of students very seriously.”
Airsoft guns are widely available on the Internet and at major retailers.
At Army Barracks on Riverdale Road in West Springfield, manager Andrew J. Banner said the Airsoft guns are a popular item, and are rivaling paintball guns because they are less expensive. Like paintball, Airsoft users will gather in a field and shoot the plastic pellets at each other, he said.
“Barring misuses of it, it doesn’t really leave a mark,” Banner said.
A 9-year-old would probably use an Airsoft for target practice or for games in the backyard, he said.
“Some parents use it as a way to teach gun safety,” Banner said.
Banner said the store carries a variety of models, from the $20 spring pistol to the more expensive $600 electric sniper rifle, and all have the distinctive orange tip that means they are not real guns. Anyone who wants to buy an Airsoft gun also must be at least 18, he said.
