Gun-like device on school campus is just a bad idea
Kids – please think through your actions ahead of time
Given all the horrific stories on school campuses, one would think teens would give serious thought to what they bring to school. But maybe not. On the last day of school – the LAST DAY, readers – the Yuma Police Department responded to Cibola High School for a report of a student with a gun on campus.
Another student saw a gel blaster handgun that appeared to look very much like a real handgun, and brought the incident to the attention of school administration.
YPD included a photo of the gel blaster, and frankly, it would be hard to distinguish it from an actual gun. I had to look up what a “gel blaster” actually is, as that’s not in my vocabulary. It’s apparently a type of toy gun that uses water-absorbing polymer beads as ammunition. The beads are designed to break upon impact, and are intended to be non-lethal, much like paintball weapons, according to Gelblastergun.com.
So back to Cibola. YPD responded, and found the gel-blaster-carrying student did not pose a threat to the safety of the students or staff.
The student will not face criminal charges, but Cibola will take disciplinary actions, YPD said in a press release.
The Yuma Union High School District student handbook, which includes Cibola High, notes that YUHSD campuses and offices are “deemed drug, alcohol, tobacco and weapon-free zones.”
It further notes that weapons and dangerous items are prohibited on YUHSD campuses, and then defines what falls under weapons and dangerous items – and the definition includes airsoft guns, BB guns, paintball guns, pellet guns, and any other simulated firearms. And that “simulated firearms” category is a good catchall, including “any simulated firearm made of plastic, wood, metal or any other material which is a replica, facsimile or toy version of a firearm.”
I find the whole situation to be perplexing.
With the heightened awareness on school campuses across the nation, why on earth would any teenager think it’s a good idea to bring anything on campus that even remotely resembles an actual gun?
Maybe the student in question had plans for afterschool. Maybe it was an end-of-school-year gift, and the student wanted to show his friends. Whatever the case may be, taking something that looks like a gun to a school campus is a bad idea.
It’s not the best way to close out the last day of school. However, as we roll into summer, I sincerely hope it’s the last weapon-related incident involving our schools – or any other school – that we report on.
Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.