Baldwin County authorities concerned with trend involving airsoft guns

By STEPHEN MOODY

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    FAIRHOPE, Alabama (WALA) — There’s a growing trend in Baldwin County and it all involves airsoft and hydrogel bb guns. Police in Fairhope and Daphne say that teens are using the guns to shoot at random people.

Authorities are pleading with people who do this to stop. And they say it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured.

They posted the warning on Facebook Monday afternoon.

In the post police said people are being targeted downtown and at the Pier.

We spoke to a high school senior who says she’s heard of the trend.

“It’s very popular at our school or just the schools around. It’s mostly the guys and they have these guns and do these play fights with them”.

But police say it’s anything but playful. Under the Facebook post, several people told their stories of them or their children being targets.

One man says his friend owns a hydrogel gun just like this.

“At first, I didn’t even know what it was. It looked like an actual assault rifle. I was asking him what it was about. He sent me videos. For me, seeing one of my friends doing something like that. I was a little worried for him. Something like that doesn’t really seem safe,” Morris said.

And that’s what cops are concerned about. By law, the airsoft guns are required to have an orange tip. But from a distance, they could look real.

“I’ll tell you what. That’s something you never really want to see. Somebody going by with a gun out of a window just getting people,” Morris said.

Fairhope police says if you’re caught doing this, you could face serious charges.

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