ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — Albany County Sheriff’s deputies arrested an 18-year-old for possession of a modified flare gun over the weekend.
Now, Sheriff Craig Apple is sounding the alarm for public safety concerns over a rise in modified handguns like these.
A firearm test was conducted on the modified flare gun; the firearm was still intact and could likely fire another round. Sheriff Apple says this doesn’t happen often.
“When we initially happened to seize this, you know, I was thinking to myself, well, you know what, we got one a couple of years ago that didn’t fire, it blew up,” said Apple.
He added that these modified guns pose safety risks similar to 3D-printed guns. “There’s so much uncertainty with them. This gun could have blown up in his face, could have blown up in somebody standing by him, or killed somebody,” Apple added.
Tully Rinckey PLLC partner Bob Babcock says illegal firearms are prosecuted the same as legal firearms.
“It doesn’t matter what you modify, whether it’s a flare gun, a BB gun, anything that’s gonna make a projectile come out of that device, and it could cause harm to somebody else, you’ve modified something to make it into a weapon,” said Babcock. “In this case, a deadly weapon.”
According to the New York State Intelligence Center, law enforcement has seized seven modified flare guns across the state in the last several years. Four have been taken off the street this year.
Sheriff Apple says with warmer weather here, there is a growing concern.
“We ask everybody at this point, please keep them locked up, and know where they are. It’s boating season, it’s prime time for flare guns,” Apple said. “So everybody’s putting boats in, and the accessibility is greater right now.”
