Pellet Gun Found at Loker Did Not Belong to a Student (UPDATED)

Police have retrieved a pellet gun found on Loker School property yesterday afternoon, but do not yet know to whom it belongs. It does not appear that a student brought the gun to school.

An e-mail from Loker School Principal Brian Jones yesterday afternoon informed parents that a pellet gun had been found on the back baseball field at the Loker School during a recess activity.

The gun was quickly turned over by a teacher to the principal. No children handled the gun and no shots were fired. It is unknown at this time who discovered the gun, though it was a teacher who turned it over to administration.

"At this point, police do not know who is the owner of the air-soft [sic] gun or why it was left in the schoolyard," said Police Chief Robert Irving via e-mail. "It was not brought into the school by a student."

Officers retrieved the gun yesterday afternoon and placed it in evidence as found property.

According to Irvings's e-mail, a pellet gun is different from a BB gun in that it fires plastic pellets as compared to the steel pellets, coated with zinc or copper, fired by a BB gun. Both types of gun are similar in appearance to a "real firearm," Irving wrote, and "can pose problems for police when they confront someone who has one in their possession."

Individuals over the age of 18 can own a pellet gun without a license, but minors must either "be accompanied by an adult" or possess a "sporting license and permit issued by the local police chief." No one, regardless of age, can fire a pellet gun "over a public way."

On private property, anyone can own a pellet gun provided it is not fired.