CHURCH POINT, La. (KLFY)-- Children in Church Point are disguising splat guns as real firearms, and could face real consequences, according to Chief of Police Dale Thibodeaux.
Splat guns propel water-based jelly bullets, similar to paintball guns but with much less physical impact to players. Being hit by the splat gun feels like a mosquito sting, according to industry experts.
But the fun ends when the harmless toy is painted to look like a real firearm, Thibodeaux said.
"If someone lifts a black gun at somebody, they may defend themselves prematurely and not realize that it's a toy gun," Thibodeaux said.
Some kids are spray-painting the gel bullet-filled toys black and pretending they're real weapons, pointing them at businesses and vehicles and shooting people.
"Am I against the kids playing with splat guns? No," Thibodeaux said. "My biggest problem is these kids, and which is a very small percentage, using it to shoot up houses, cars, other people who are passing on the roads. It's happening."
Church Point Police are investigating an incident where a child shot someone in the face as they were driving by.
"I also want the people in the community to know that not every kid sitting on the bench in the park, that's sitting on the bench at the store holding their guns, that's walking down the road holding their guns," Thibodeaux said. "Not every child is up to no good. Let's not brand them that way."
Thibodeaux said parents are responsible for any criminal activity their child commits, and the splat gun will be considered a real weapon.
"You need to supervise your children," Thibodeaux said. "You can be charged with that if proven that your lack of supervision could have caused this. Plus, let's say you have a hospital bill, you've caused while shooting at a car. You caused them to crash and hit somebody, kill somebody, hurt somebody. That parent can be civilly responsible for everything that child has done."
