Police are reminding Edmontonians to be cautious with their Halloween costume choices after a person wearing a mask carrying what looked to be a real gun gave commuters a fright.
Officers responded to the weapons complaint in the area of 144th Avenue and 58th Street near McLeod Park in northeast Edmonton Friday morning.
After investigating, police said it turned out to be a student walking to school in a Halloween costume.
With Halloween approaching, police are warning trick-or-treaters to be mindful that costume props, such as fake weapons, could be mistaken for the real thing.
Fake gun, real danger
Imitations can be fun to play with, but they can produce fear and panic if used in public places, police said in a news release Friday.
Never play with a fake gun or fake weapon in public, police said, and never point it at someone “even if you’re joking.”
And if police become involved, avoid confrontation, police urged.
“Put the weapon down and do exactly what the officer tells you,” police said.
In 2014, imitation guns were involved in approximately 1,160 EPS files, from mischief to weapons complaints to serious crimes.
In 2015, imitation guns were involved in approximately 1,598 Edmonton police investigations, a year-to-year increase of 38 per cent.