Yesterday afternoon, the Irvine Police Department received reports of an Loma Ridge Elementary School student placing an object that resembled a firearm into his backpack as he was walking in a public area.
The Irvine Police Department’s Youth Services Unit quickly partnered with the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) and located the student.
The officers determined the object was a 3-D-printed toy. The object was solid, did not have a movable trigger or hammer, and could not fire anything.
The officers determined that no crime had been committed and worked with the school and family to counsel the child.
Yesterday, a screen capture of a text string with a photo of the object began circulating. The IPD Youth Services Officers reviewed the entire text message string and determined no threats were made.
A video of a young boy carrying the object outside of an elementary school in Orange County surfaced in social media, setting off an uproar as parents rushed to get their kids out of the school, according to KTLA.
In the video, the boy is seen carrying the object by his side before removing his backpack and putting it inside.
Reportedly the boy had also posted a message on social media while holding the object, with a message reading, “Don’t mess with me y’all.”
As of now, there have been no reported school shootings in the U.S. involving 3D-printed guns. However, there have been incidents where students were found in possession of 3D-printed firearms or components. This highlights the growing concern about the accessibility and potential misuse of 3D printing technology for creating untraceable weapons .
that is L*cas