Realistic-looking gun replicas prompt police response near Oktoberfest

Two teenagers carrying realistic-looking gun replicas near Munich’s Oktoberfest grounds prompted a police response, BR24 reported. It was the fourth similar incident in Bavaria in a matter of weeks.

Passers-by at Hackerbrücke, a bridge near the festival, alerted Federal Police officers assigned to protect the Oktoberfest after seeing what appeared to be pistols. Officers found two imitation firearms during a check: a 15-year-old had one tucked into his waistband, while a 16-year-old was holding the other. Investigators said there was no indication that the teenagers had threatened travellers.

The Ukrainian teenagers breached a Federal Police order in force during the Oktoberfest by carrying the replicas near Theresienwiese, the festival grounds. Officers confiscated the items, threatened a coercive fine and informed the teenagers’ guardians.

Under Germany’s Weapons Act, an imitation weapon counts as a toy only if its overall appearance clearly indicates that it is meant for play, for example because it is brightly coloured or much smaller than a real firearm.

Other recent cases include an incident in Munich-Neuperlach on Friday, when police took a 19-year-old German man to a police station after he twice worked the action of an imitation firearm. In mid-August, two adults carrying realistic-looking pistol replicas in Würzburg prompted another police response.

Earlier, police shot a 14-year-old during a search involving 80 officers in Munich. He was carrying a soft-air gun modelled on the appearance of a real 9 mm Beretta 92. The teenager, who was already known to police for bodily injury, is now under investigation on suspicion of threatening officers.