8-year-old boy takes replica assault rifle to Sydney school

Teachers saw a young boy take what appeared to be an assault rifle out of his bag to “show mates”. It sparked a lockdown and a police investigation into how it ended up in the child’s hands.

NSW Police are investigating the incident which forced a Sydney school into lockdown. File picture

An eight-year-old boy is at the centre of a police investigation after forcing a Sydney school into lockdown by carrying what appeared to be an assault rifle.

Staff at the primary school in the city’s Hills District called police on Tuesday when teachers saw the boy take the item from his bag to show friends.

The Daily Telegraph has been told the boy did not threaten anyone, but told his class teacher he took it to school to “show his mates”.

The school was placed in lockdown until police arrived and confirmed the gun was a replica.

Any item that replicates the dimensions, colour and shape of a firearm is illegal, police said.

The replica rifle which was brought into a school, forcing it into lockdown.

The item was seized and detectives are now investigating where the replica rifle came from, and how it ended up in the boy’s possession.

Police issued a photograph of the seized replica rifle, issuing a warning on social media saying “This is not a toy”.

“Hills Police are investigating the circumstances of how a young person came into possession of a replica assault rifle, which was seized today,” the social media post said.

“Any parents or adults who are found to have purchased these articles and supply them to children may be subject to firearms offences that carry up to seven years imprisonment.”

“You may surrender these replica firearms to any Police Station under the NSW Firearms Amnesty without fear of prosecution.”

A parent at the school praised the staff handling of the incident.

“They took it seriously which is what we want as parents … it was a bit of a shock but it’s sorted now,” the parent said.

A Queensland-based online store which specialises in quality replica guns lists a similar item for $799.00, but states a permit must be obtained to purchase it.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said the school “took all immediate and necessary steps to respond to this incident”.

“No threats were made with the replica weapon, and no-one was harmed,” the spokesperson added.