Police in San Diego shot and killed a 15-year-old boy on Saturday after he pointed a BB gun at them, mistaking it for a real firearm. The incident occurred when officers responded to a 911 call requesting a welfare check on the teenager, who was standing in front of a school. The caller had stated the boy was not armed.
According to a police statement, two officers arrived at the scene and saw the boy pull a gun from his waistband and point it at one of them. The officers drew their weapons and repeatedly instructed the boy to drop the gun, but he refused and walked towards an officer, ignoring a second command. Both officers then fired, striking the boy several times. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
The weapon was later identified as a semi-automatic BB air pistol. The boy, a local resident and student at the school, has not been named due to his age. This incident echoes other high-profile cases where police misidentified BB or pellet guns, such as the 2014 shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland, who was also holding a BB gun.
