Sunland Park Police want parents to be careful with BB guns, toy guns bought for children

The Sunland Park Police Department is asking parents to be aware of the BB guns and toy guns they buy their kids and the potential for those toys to cause misunderstandings and problems.

The police department uploaded a post on its Facebook Monday night about an officer on patrol being flagged down by a concerned parent.

“Officer Vega was advised that some kids had a rifle and they were hiding in the desert,” the post states, adding that the officer was able to talk to the kids. “Now we ask you, does this look like a real gun or a toy gun? We ask that as parents be aware of the toy guns you buy your kids. Things can get ugly quick with something that looks this real! Thankfully nothing happened here and all came out ok. If you ever have a question about these toys please don’t hesitate to call us. This was a BB gun!”

One comment on the post asked if BB guns and toy guns were supposed to have a bright orange painted muzzle.

“Most of these are supposed to have some sort of Orange color on it. Due to the large number of manufacturers, things aren’t always followed,” the police department posted in response to the question.