Las Vegas bans fake guns in downtown district, but it's still legal to carry a real one!
Downtown Las Vegas city officials have passed a bill to ban fake guns in the region despite it being legal to carry real firearms in Nevada, according to reports. The Las Vegas City Council, on Wednesday, announced the legislation, banning toy and replica firearms in the city's Fremont East district. The law also bans fake firearm on public sidewalks bordering the area, including Main Street, Ogden Avenue, Seventh Street, and Carson Avenue.
According to the legislative documents, "Any toy firearm, imitation firearm, or replica firearm which substantially duplicates and can reasonably be perceived to be an actual operable firearm as "firearm" is defined" is also banned in the new bill passed by the council. The legislation also listed other fake weapons like swords, knives, and bow and arrows. Violation of the new rules laid out in the legislation is a punishable offense resulting in up to six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
The bill was reportedly sponsored by Councilwoman Olivia Diaz, a former assemblywoman who represents Fremont East. The district has become the first latest jurisdiction to ban fake guns in Nevada. The state, however, allows civilians to carry concealed, real firearms.
A council spokesperson, while talking to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, said that the bill was brought on by the city's Public Safety Department. The department reportedly sought to improve safety in the district by making its laws consistent with those applicable to the Strip. A 2012 bill passed unanimously by officials outlawed display or use of any toy or replica firearm along the Strip.
The co-president of the Northern Nevada chapter of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Christine Brown, said that she would prefer local policymakers to use their voices to influence state lawmakers to act against open-carry laws.
"I understand that if you have a toy and someone thinks that’s a real gun, that could cause grave concern," Brown said. "However, people are out there with real guns legally, and I think that should be of grave concern."
The bill comes nearly two years after the Las Vegas massacre, when a shooter opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in 2017 on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada. Stephen Paddock fired more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition, killing 58 people and wounding 413.