On May 16, shortly after 4 p.m., three young male adults 17-19 years of age caused a ruckus in downtown Drumheller staging a mock shooting with an Airsoft gun.
     One male went and stood outside of the main doors to the Royal Bank, while the other two were stopped in a vehicle near by. The driver of the car then pulled out an Airsoft pistol that strongly resembled a real pistol, and began shooting at his accomplice in front of the bank.  This gave the appearance of someone being shot outside of the bank. 
    The driver then attempted to leave the scene.  This pistol not only resembled a real gun but when shot it makes a sound that could be mistaken as gunfire.
      Corporal Kevin Charles was near the bank in civilian clothing.  He witnessed the incident and subsequently stopped the vehicle as it attempted to leave the scene. The three males were arrested, although no charges were laid. The Airsoft pistol was voluntarily turned over for destruction.
    Under the provisions of the Criminal Code, these three males could be charged for Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose which has a penalty if found guilty of incarceration of up to 10 years in jail.
    When interviewed at the scene, the three males said they thought it would be funny to perform this stunt and did not think of the ramifications.
    The weapon in this case was very realistic and under the right circumstances could have resulted in the male with the gun being shot by police.
     “Many of these guns are made to look just like a real gun, and that may be part of the lure.  Many youths have these guns and do not think of them as guns,” said Staff Sergeant Art Hopkins.  “It is important to remember that it is not what the holder thinks or knows it to be, it is important what the witness or victim believes it is. Parents who know their children have these guns should ensure that they are used for the purpose they were designed and not for pranks.”

    The principal of St. Anthony’s School is hoping to get motorists to slow down when driving by the school.
    Discussion is resuming over whether or not to make a section of North Dinosaur Trail a school zone, reducing the speed of vehicles to 30 kilometres per hour during school hours.
    “I am very concerned about the safety of our students when crossing the highway in front of our school. We have had several near misses to date. I have approached the Mayor’s office, our MLA’s office and the RCMP to see if there are other solutions that could work,” said JoAnne Akerboom, principal of St. Anthony’s School. “Everyone I have approached in the community is very supportive and are working with us to explore alternate solutions.”
    Prior to the school opening in February last year, the RCMP asked residents to be vigilant when driving by the school. Students crossing North Dinosaur Trail must use the crosswalk in an area designated 70 kilometres per hour.
    Because North Dinosaur Trail is a highway, it is administered by Alberta Transportation.
    Initially RCMP and the Town of Drumheller asked Alberta Transportation to install a system of early warning lights which would flash if students were crossing. The RCMP also had a greater presence in the area after the school opened.
    For its part, the school placed a greater emphasis on educating its students about traffic safety.
    Now, those measures may not be enough. Akerboom sent a letter to the Drumheller Town Council on Tuesday asking for their support in lobbying Alberta Transportation.
    At the meeting, Council agreed to support the school’s initiative, but felt a complete review of all the traffic issues surrounding St. Anthony’s School was necessary.