Do these look like real guns? Imitation firearms spark concern at NJ events

✅ Imitation and toy guns are more detailed than ever

✅ Police sometimes have to quickly decide if a gun is real

✅ They are supposed to be specially marked

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — The end of a South Jersey town's National Night Out event was marred by the discovery of imitation weapons that looked so real they impressed the officers handling the case.

Egg Harbor Township police Capt. Cherie Burgan told New Jersey 101.5 that an officer directing traffic out of Veterans Memorial Park after the fireworks show was told about someone in a gray Mustang pointing a gun at people. Police found the Mustang in the heavy traffic leaving the park.

The weapons turned out to be a handgun-shaped lighter with a laser attachment and an Airsoft-type handgun.

"We actually had one officer who was attempting to clear it, believing that it was and by clearing and making sure that there were no rounds in the chamber, and they still couldn't believe that it was actually a lighter, because it looked so much like a real gun," Burgan said.

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Real and fake guns treated the same

Even though they can't be fired they still present a danger to both law enforcement and the public because of the possible outcome, according to Burgan.

"The force that something like that is going to be met with is going to be equivalent to if it was a real gun because we don't know. There's no way for us to know just at a glance whether or not that is a real gun, especially when it's being used in a way to purport that it's real," Burgan said.

There have also been TikTok challenges and the annual Senior Assassin events involving imitation weapons.

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Law says imitation guns must be easily identifiable

Under New Jersey law the sale of toy guns and imitation firearms that look real is prohibited, according to the Giffords Law Center. They must be a color other than black, blue, silver, or aluminum and be marked with a non-removable orange stripe. However, that is not always the case.

"I think it's more about the accessibility with online shopping and pretty much access to different vendors that people never would have in the past had access too. I think that's why it's spiraled into what it is," Burgan said.

Is there a place for imitation guns?  Burgan didn't think there was a problem having it in one's own home.

"I would highly recommend that people not bring them in public again. They're still going to get into trouble as if it were a real gun. Not only is there no way for us to know, but you the charges are actually similar if they were to get into trouble," Burgan said.

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