Toy Gun Confiscated At Ridgewood School, Police Say

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Even a fake gun can cause alarm, the Ridgewood police noted in a Facebook post recently.

The post last week said that police "secured" a toy gun after they were informed that a student had it at one of the schools in town.

The Office of Chief Forest R. Lyons noted that on Wednesday, Jan. 31, "The Ridgewood Police Department was made aware that a student at one of our schools was in possession of a toy gun. Our officers immediately ensured the toy was secured and there was no threat to any students or staff."

The "miniature" plastic toy gun had not been used in any crime, the post said.

It also "was not an imitation firearm, and not of evidentiary value. No further police action was deemed necessary beyond the initial investigation," Lyons' office said.

But they noted that a toy gun could cause problems.

The post said, "We urge all parents to ensure that their children do not possess a toy (regardless if it has orange markings or other common indicators of being a toy) that may be considered a weapon by any person while they are in public places, especially our schools."

TikTok Warning

Last spring, police in some areas warned parents about a TikTok challenge in which people were shooting soft water gel pellets at people and cars from "Orbeez" guns.

"Devices like these, albeit a toy, can cause serious harm to individuals as well as to property," wrote West Hartford, Conn. schools in a letter, according to West Hartfort Patch. "Pointing a toy gun can have dire consequences."

A similar warning was issued in San Carlos, California last winter.

In July of 2022, a corrections officer in New York City fatally shot an 18-year-old who was holding an Orbeez gun, according to multiple media accounts.