13-year-old points toy gun at moving cars, prompting police operation

A 13-year-old allegedly pointed a realistic-looking toy gun at passing cars outside Dingolfing railway station in Bavaria, prompting a police operation. Officers detained the boy without resistance, and police said no one was injured.

Because the boy is below the age of criminal responsibility, officers involved his guardians and other relevant authorities before handing him over to his caregivers. The pistol had an orange marking at the tip, as required under Germany’s weapons law for toy guns.

Police are asking drivers and other people who felt threatened to come forward. Officers have not established how long the boy handled the toy weapon outside the station or how many cars he allegedly targeted.

The incident follows similar cases in Bavaria. In Hof, two teenagers aged 16 and 17 triggered a police operation after walking through the city center with realistic-looking airsoft guns. Police said they handed over the weapons, and authorities opened administrative fine proceedings against both for violating weapons law.

In Munich-Schwabing, a police officer shot and seriously injured a 14-year-old in mid-August after encountering a softair pistol that closely resembled a Beretta 92. The Munich public prosecutor’s office and the state criminal police office continue to examine whether the shooting was lawful. Police and the teenager’s family have given differing accounts of what happened.