A 16-year-old boy pointed a replica gun at the head of a friend outside Century High School yesterday, alarming people at the neighboring National Volleyball Center, according to police.
Officers happened to be near the school at the time of the call, pulling over a red SUV with three teenage boys at around 5:45 p.m., according to Capt. Brian Winters.
Winters said that he didn't know whether the boys were Century students, and a school district spokeswoman said Thursday morning that she couldn't comment as the police investigation is ongoing.
The replica firearm the 16-year-old brandished was an airsoft gun and was not loaded, Winters said. He said that gun had a "striking similarity" to a real automatic weapon.
Airsoft guns are similar to a BB guns and are commonly used in military-style shooting games similar to paintball.
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It does not appear that the 16-year-old was using the gun to assault his 15-year-old friend, Winters said. Holding the gun briefly to the boy's head was "an act of bad judgment" he said, adding that charges will be pursued as the investigation continues.
The initial investigation into the event found that the 16-year-old was dropped off in front of Century by a friend. The 16-year-old then briefly went into the school, came out with a friend, and pointed the gun at the boy's head, Winters said.
No one is in custody as a result of the incident, and the weapon was confiscated, Winters said. Authorities will seek charges against whomever they can in the case, he added.
Possible charges include disorderly conduct, terroristic threats, and possessing a replica weapon on school property, Winters said.
