To ask neighbour's son not to play with a BB gun?

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

My kids (12 and 7), neighbour's son (10) and other neighbour's daughters (5 and 6) were all playing out after school today. I noticed neighbour's son and my eldest were shooting cans off a wall with the BB gun.

They were being perfectly sensible, but the gun was very powerful and there were smaller kids running round, so I asked him if he'd mind not shooting the gun outside. He was lovely about it, took his fun inside, then I gave them all ice-pops.

WIBU? His mum is scary and I'm terrified she's going to hate me for being interfering.

It's not a gas-powered BB gun, but still powerful enough to shoot pellets really hard. You're meant to wear goggles, etc. He wasn't.

[Oldraver]

You could ask but I would make it very clear to a child of mine that they were not to play with a gun BB or not...

I'm not totally anti-guns..they have a place in the countryside and gun clubs if you must. But they are not a play thing foe DC's

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Thank you. :)

[WhatsGoingOnEh]

Sorry about your child, Dawn! Were they ok? Had he shot them on purpose??

[slicedfinger]

There have been a number of incidents near us recently with children being hurt by them in local parks. They terrify me frankly.

[RachelZoe]

Yanbu at all. I hate guns with an absolute passion and they are certainly not a toy for children, especially with little ones running around too.

[maybebabybee]

One of my childhood friends lost an eye when her neighbour accidentally shot her with a BB gun :(

[Starface]

If they are being shot elsewhere than on private property (even if the bullets go across your garden shot from within his garden) this can be viewed as an offence. Google it, find the law, call the police. We did this with our neighbour. Once they had established it was an offence, the police popped over for a word. For us this stopped it.

[rallytog1]

As a teenager I witnessed a friend shot in the eye by a bb gun. It was an accident. I still have nightmares about what I saw and heard that day. Needless to say, he now only has one working eye. Do not allow your kids to play with a bb gun under any circumstances. It's just not worth it.