Markham woman struck in face with pellet from legal air gun

A walk in the park with family turned into a trip to the hospital for a Markham woman on Saturday. She was in a local park with her child when she heard loud bangs, followed by a sharp pain to her face. She had been struck by a pellet from an air gun, said Sgt. Gary Phillips of York Regional Police.

The culprit? A group of five youths nearby who had been using the gun to shoot cans in a backyard. All of the youths were under the age of 12, said Sgt. Phillips.

Many air guns, which include airsoft guns, pellet guns and other replica firearms, are legal in Canada. The use of replica firearms and air guns does still leave some police concerned.

"Last summer after an incident, we had an event where we showed a replica firearm, and one of the firearms that our emergency response team uses," said Sgt Phillips, referring to an incident in September when police were called to a Newmarket residence when a man spotted a youth with what appeared to be an assault rifle. "You couldn’t tell the difference."

In another incident in York Region this weekend, police pulled over a vehicle after a call from a motorist who saw what appeared to be a youth loading a handgun. The gun in question turned out to be an airsoft pistol, which was confiscated by police on the insistance of the youth’s parents, said Sgt. Phillips.

National Post