On August 3, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ordered an immediate end of “realistic toy gun sales” after finding that some retailers were allegedly selling toy guns lacking a state-required “bright, 1-inch-wide orange stripe ‘down both sides of the barrel and the front end of the barrel.'”
Schneiderman also announced fines for certain retailers—including Amazon and Walmart—to the tune of $300,000 apiece.
According to NPR, Schneiderman said, “When toy guns are mistaken for real guns, there can be tragic consequences. New York State law is clear: retailers cannot put children and law enforcement at risk by selling toy guns that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.”
The AG explained how “realistic toy gun sales” continue to happen in the state:
It now appears that those sales have moved to the online marketplace. This new investigation reveals that many prohibited toy guns, priced from less than $10 to as much as several hundred dollars, can be easily purchased online and shipped into the state. The recent investigation also uncovered that at least one retailer is selling illegal toy guns in its stores.
NPR’s Joel Rose reports, “There’s been a push for increased regulation of toy guns since a police officer in Cleveland fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice last November. Tamir was holding a realistic airsoft gun.”
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