Editor’s note: A previous version of the article headline mentioned it was 1.5 years’ jail. The actual term is 18 weeks’ jail. We apologise for the error.
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Nerf guns are extremely well-loved and the soft foam ‘bullets’ seem harmless enough.
Curious about these toy guns, a 64-year-old man in Singapore decided to DIY his own through online videos.
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After constructing a metal airgun, the man reportedly tested it by shooting at neighbouring blocks, shattering some of his neighbours’ windows in the process.
On Wednesday (16 Dec), he was sentenced to 18 weeks’ jail and slapped with a $2,000 fine.
Back in 2017, the 64-year-old man was fascinated by the workings of a Nerf gun after chancing upon it.
Curious, the sheet-metal worker took some scrap material from his company’s workshop and started making his own airguns.
With the help of YouTube tutorials, he DIY-ed a total of 3 airguns, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
His third airgun, completed in Oct 2018, turned out to be his most powerful, ST reported.
At the same time, he had purchased 100 6mm steel ball bearings and 100 8mm ball bearings to test his airguns out.
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He reportedly tried shooting at trees and HDB blocks near his 8-storey flat from his living room window.
After testing it several times, the man found that the third airgun was capable of shooting the ball bearings consistently into the walls of Block 453 Jurong West Street 42 — located opposite his flat.
He continued his target practice sessions until Apr 2019.
The man’s actions eventually caught up with him last April when a resident reported to the police that he heard a cracking sound and found his bedroom window broken.
According to ST, police later found his airgun and arrested the 64-year-old. The guns and components were also confiscated.
In total, 200 ball bearings were reportedly shot, and the windows of 9 units were damaged.
Repair works amounted to about $2,000, reported CNA.
The authorities later determined that ball bearings shot from the airgun could potentially cause non-lethal injuries to humans and crack glass window panels.
For manufacturing an airgun without a license and committing a rash act by shooting at neighbouring blocks, the 64-year-old was sentenced to 18 weeks’ jail on Wednesday (16 Dec).
He was also fined $2,000. According to The Straits Times (ST), 2 other charges were considered in his sentencing.
The 64-year-old expressed remorse regarding the situation and also tried to make restitution for his actions.
For manufacturing a gun, he could have been dealt a stiffer penalty of up to 3 years and fined $10,000.
Such airguns are especially dangerous in space-constrained Singapore, where residences are in such close proximity.
In this case, one of the man’s neighbours could have been severely injured from the projectiles if he or she were unlucky.
We hope the offender learns his lesson and would not engage in such dangerous activities in the future.
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Featured image adapted from Wikimedia Commons and Google Maps.
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