‘Before someone gets killed,’ police issue warning after teens found with realistic-looking BB guns

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. — Guns found in the hands of several young teenagers in Aliquippa turned out to be BB guns, but they looked so real that police are worried someone could get killed.

Officer Fran Conkle spotted four teens, who ranged in age from 12 to 15 years old, and found five BB guns Sunday night after someone called police.

“There’s going to be a tragedy if parents and the community don’t get involved,” Conkle said. “As a police officer, the last thing in the world that I want to do is take the life of a child and then find out it’s from them carrying a BB gun.”

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The city of Aliquippa posted a photo of the BB guns on Facebook, and they could easily be mistaken for a real gun.

“They are all BB guns! But in the heat of the moment, what would you think?” the Facebook post said.

The post urged parents to stop their children from carrying BB guns around “before someone gets killed.”

“In this heightened time, hey, someone can lose their life based on something so fake, something that you think is harmless. Just be respectful in the time we’re living in,” Aliquippa Mayor Dwan Walker said.

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