Did I screw up? How would you handle?

[Baboosh]

I personally would have called. I'd be kicking myself if a crime had occurred and I missed my opportunity to prevent it. This kind of situation is an example of what law enforcement is for, they're supposed to investigate and be nosey.

Only reason I disagree with this is because it could affect the kids for the rest of their lifes.

[The Gleam]

Ok, you guys claiming criminals and gang members EVER painted their guns or painted the tips orange to "fool" the cops.....

Back it up with a link or I call BULL.

I don't believe it for a second.

[drifts1]

Did you feel they were kids being kids or hoodlums about to commit a crime. Based on your description I would not have called. When I was a kid we didn't have orange painted tips and we ran around and rode our bikes all over neighborhood shooting each other with real looking toy guns. Our kids should be able to do the same and we should revert to those times rather than stray further.

[Zedrek]

I was at a friends house once standing in front while he smoked and saw two kids (twenty year olds) run out of their house and turn around and fire an Airsoft gun towards the house before jumping in their car and speeding off. I had the same dilemma about calling the cops. It was enough to startle me and I know about firearms so I can imagine what some little old lady would think. I never called but think I should have looking back on it.

[pc_load_letter]

i would have called

I would have called as well. Teach the kids that guns, even toys, are something that is not a joke, not to be pointed out a car window.

The kids in my neigborhood play with airsoft but they shoot cans and targets that I gave them. If they ever shot my dogs or pointed it at me, hell would brought down on them.

[RandyD]

As you stated, you only saw an orange tipped shotgun barrel and a pump. You could not identify that they were firearms, or if they were illegal firearms, or if they were being illegally possessed. It is lawful for a shotgun to be in the passenger compartment of a vehicle (this is not the best judgment, but it is not illegal). You did not see a crime. This circumstance does not require police attention.

It seems like everyone in California is hyper-sensitive to seeing a firearm, and immediately infer that the person must be intent upon going on a killing spree.

Unfortunately, with mindsets this, I have to take extra precautions to prevent third parties from seeing me loading a firearm into my vehicle's trunk when I want to go shooting or hunting. It is always on my mind, that someone saw me put a firearm in my car, called the police, gave them my license plate number, which could subject me to being stopped and taken down at gunpoint. All of this, because some busybody, infers the worst about me for the sole reason that I am in possession of a firearm.

[drifter2be]

Personally I would have called. On one hand, these could have been individuals up to no good, think about how easy it is to spray paint a flash-hider bright orange and have everyone thing a rifle is an airsoft toy. On the other hand it could just be stupid kids being stupid. That said, I fully believe in "play stupid games, win stupid prizes". It would have been the responsible thing to do in reporting the situation to the police, everything beyond that is on the people being stupid and the authorities. They do something stupid like point one at a cop, they will surely win their stupid prize.

Actions have consequences. Plain and simple. I would never make the assumption that a gun was a toy just because of an orange tip.

[Findout]

Thank you, let boys be boys. we all did crazy stupid crap when we were younger and if you didn't, don't worry i did enough for three or four people. all they had were airsoft guns, calling the cops could have lead to charges and ruined lives over some nanny worked up over a little airsoft gun.

Driving around with weapons easily visible to any passers by is not "boys being boys". If these teenagers were off the road somewhere shooting airsoft guns at random detritus that didn't matter(and obviously not at or across the road), I wouldn't have any issue. But if I see someone rolling around in a car who is sticking what may or may not be a firearm out the window of the car, you better believe I'm calling the police.

I don't think there is anything "nanny state" about expecting people - adults or otherwise - not to brandish airsoft guns, BB guns or real firearms in a vehicle and point them out the window when on public roads. No good will ever come of that. You cannot expect a passer by to know whether or not said gun is real or not just at a quick glance, even if you and I probably would be able to tell.

I don't like it one bit that the general public is afraid of firearms in general, and I think it's a shame that we can't open or concealed carry without issue. I think this country would be a better place if we could. But carrying is not the same as pointing something out a car window. That's a line that nobody should be allowed to cross, teenager or otherwise.

As for the long term consequences of their actions potentially ****ing them for life? I doubt it. If they do exactly what they should do when they get stopped and surrounded, it's very unlikely that anyone will get hurt. As for what charges they might face, that's anyone's guess. They might get a stern lecture, they might end up locked up for a bit. Who knows? But can you imagine how ****ed they'd have been if a cop had seen that?

I'd have called. No doubt.

[MrExel17]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes...shoulda called!

[Findout]

As you stated, you only saw an orange tipped shotgun barrel and a pump. You could not identify that they were firearms, or if they were illegal firearms, or if they were being illegally possessed. It is lawful for a shotgun to be in the passenger compartment of a vehicle (this is not the best judgment, but it is not illegal). You did not see a crime. This circumstance does not require police attention.

It seems like everyone in California is hyper-sensitive to seeing a firearm, and immediately infer that the person must be intent upon going on a killing spree.

Unfortunately, with mindsets this, I have to take extra precautions to prevent third parties from seeing me loading a firearm into my vehicle's trunk when I want to go shooting or hunting. It is always on my mind, that someone saw me put a firearm in my car, called the police, gave them my license plate number, which could subject me to being stopped and taken down at gunpoint. All of this, because some busybody, infers the worst about me for the sole reason that I am in possession of a firearm.

I'm betting you would never and have never stuck a firearm out the window of your car on a public road where someone else could see it.

Having a shotgun or other long gun is absolutely legal in the passenger compartment, you're right. Is brandishing it and pointing it out the window legal? Highly doubtful, even if it was an airsoft. Either way, there's a HUGE difference between having it sitting on the seat and pointing it out the window. I can't believe you don't see the difference. There's a very real reason to believe that a person's intentions are great cause for concern when you see them sticking a firearm out the window.

If you see somebody sticking what may be a firearm out the window of their car, are you going to think nothing of it until some 00 buck is headed your way? I'm not going to wait until it's too late to find what's going on if I have real reason to suspect something.

[Findout]

If you called the cops and they showed up and a boy was killed because of a trigger happy cop could you live with yourself?

This is your neighborhood, do you know the kids? Could you profile them? Kids driving in a Lexus SUV with polo shirts are not exactly the same as kids driving around in a Monte Carlo with tinted windows and bandanas on their head.

Any boys the same age live around you?

It's a tough call but IMO I wouldn't have called. I would have stuck around or maybe followed them to see if they just parked at a house on another street. Then you could have decided to talk to the parents or not.

If I called and one or more of them were shot by police afterwards, I would assume that the teenagers did not do exactly what they should have when the police stopped them. Engine off, keys on the dash, hands where you can see them, no sudden movements, follow all instructions to the letter without hesitation, etc etc. Yes, there are trigger happy cops out there, but a little common sense goes a long damn way when you've got police drawing down on you. One of the responsibilities of driving is that you understand that there are often consequences to not doing what police tell you to do. Is that a guarantee that nothing bad will happen? Of course not.

At the end of the day, had these teens not been on a public road pointing what look like firearms out the window, they'd have nothing to worry about. That's how I see it. I didn't choose their actions, they did.

Here's one for you: If you didn't call and you found out later that these kids shot and killed somebody not long after you saw them, would you be able to live with yourself knowing that you could have possibly prevented it?

[Kukuforguns]

OP you, nor anyone else in this thread, have do not have ANY idea if they truly were airsoft guns or not. Airsoft gun are designed to "look real", and criminaly have caught on to the point where they commonly do paint their guns / tips orange to "get the drop" on cops.

Is this apocryphal or do you have some incidents that support this assertion?

[glockman19]

If you are talking about Angeles then you made the right call in NOT calling. There is an Airsoft field up there.

[xxINKxx]

I miss the old days where kids could go out alone and shoot BB guns and nobody would bat an eye.

Now if you make a pop tart into a shape if a gun your life is changed forever. Or have a clear airsoft gun in your back yard and be at risk the cops breaking your door down and Fing you up because some scared neighbor called.