Marketplace

The Trouble With Fake Guns & Busted: EPFX (36x8)

: 27, 2009

In a split second, do you think you could tell the difference between a real or an imitation gun? Imagine if that gun were pointed in your direction in what could be a life-or-death situation. It's not a pleasant scenario, but unfortunately it's becoming a familiar one for police. Imitation guns, designed to look like the real thing, have been used in home invasions and robberies. Kids have even brought them into schools - with predictably terrifying results. At a time when a climate of fear and danger exists around guns, Erica Johnson investigates how accessible imitation handguns are and how Canadian laws are ineffective when it comes to cracking down on this problem.