Rome Police Demonstrate on Social Media How Real BB Guns Look

In the wake of the tragic shooting death of a Utica teen, the Rome Police Department has taken the opportunity to reshare one of their previous Facebook posts to demonstrate just how real modern day BB or pellet guns look compared to actual handguns.

One of the biggest issues surrounding the case of 13-year-old Nyah Mway being shot and killed by police was him being in possession of a replica Glock BB gun, according to Utica Police. It will no doubt be a major factor in the investigation being conducted by the New York State Attorney General's office.

This is a huge reminder to all of something police across the country continue to deal with daily and that is the threat of gun violence in many forms. Several officers have been shot in the line of duty this year and anything that even remotely looks like a weapon to police can be deemed a possible threat. That is why Rome Police have reshared a Facebook post from March of 2021 to remind people how realistic these BB guns can look.

The post recounts an incident that took place on March 18th, 2021 in which Rome Police officers responded to a report of a male with a weapon at a convenience store on E. Bloomfield Street. While the situation could have ended a lot worse, police were able to get control of the situation and discover the individual possessed a revolver style BB gun and had it in his waistband. That incident happened in broad daylight just after 1 p.m. in the afternoon and even at that time of day it looked realistic.

This hopes to serve as a reminder of just how difficult the job is of a police officer day in and day out and to explain the possible dangers they face. Following the tragic incident in Utica on Friday, many are calling for renewed efforts to pass laws restricting the realistic design and appearance of BB or pellet guns to real handguns. Who knows what will happen, but something should be done to address it.