Missouri State University officials are discussing whether to ban nerf guns after a professor confused the toy for a real gun.
CBS Local reported:
Missouri State University officials are discussing whether to limit or ban the use of Nerf guns used in a popular weeklong campus game.
About 500 people took part in October’s “Humans vs. Zombies” game, in which players try to tag other people, who then become zombies. The humans can defend themselves by stunning the zombies with Nerf guns or balled-up socks.
During October’s game, a professor called 911 and put a classroom on lockdown after thinking he saw a real gun. And the university’s safety and transportation department got several calls to its non-emergency number while the game was being played, The Springfield News-Leader reported.
The game is not played inside but it does go on at all hours of the day. The Nerf guns can sometimes look like real weapons, particularly in low-light, said Don Clark, director of the university’s Department of Safety and Transportation.
“When we get that call, we have to make the initial assessment that it might be a real gun,” he said.
Several colleges across the country have banned Nerf guns.
