City Council offers two replica gun bills

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Replica guns would be allowed in parades and presentations by museums and societies dedicated to historical preservation and military preservation, under a bill before the City Council.

However, another bill would ban the realistic-looking fakes from school grounds entirely, except for official school classes, functions and activities, such as ROTC programs, band and drama performances.

"The authority to grant exemptions should be given to the (Department of Education), especially the principal of each school," said police Lt. Alan Anami.

Brad Hayes, director of the Hawaiian Museum of Flying, testified in support of the bill allowing historical societies to display the guns. "We have helicopters that we mount machine guns on, and mini guns on, and they're all replicas or they've been demilitarized. We would not be able to mount them because we would be in noncompliance," he said.

Both bills amend a law passed in July, which prohibits people from carrying replica guns openly. The council's Public Safety and Intergovernmental Affairs committee unanimously advanced them yesterday for a public hearing.

Showing a replica gun in public is a petty misdemeanor punished by a fine up to $500 or up to 30 days in prison. Drawing or brandishing a gun in front of a police officer will be punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or one year in prison.

Last month, 27-year-old Oliver Shawn Tela was shot after allegedly drawing a replica pellet air gun on police officers. Police say the fake gun may have been modified to fire real bullets.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.