Making good on warnings that BB-guns are illegal in Chicago, police have busted a Northwest Side store owner for selling one of the plastic weapons to a 13-year-old boy, authorities said Monday.
William Garriga, 55, owner of Divas Videos and Music at 4758 W. Belmont, was cited for not having a license to sell firearms and for illegally selling BB-guns within city limits.
Garriga could face a fine of $250 to $500 for each violation and his business license could be in jeopardy. Police said he sold at least nine BB-guns.
After an officer shot and wounded a 14-year-old boy holding a metal BB-gun Aug. 7 near the Cabrini-Green housing complex, police stressed that BB-guns are illegal in the city. Police said the shooting was justified because the officer thought the gun was real.
Last Thursday, police received a call from Northwest Side residents about a red laser light shining from a window. Officer John Tierney discovered a 13-year-old bought the BB-gun, which looks like a 9mm pistol but has an orange tip to differentiate it from a real gun. The BB-gun in the Aug. 7 shooting did not have an orange tip.
BOY GROUNDED FOR BB-GUN
Garriga told police he did not know BB-guns were illegal in Chicago. The Omega BB-gun the boy bought retails for $5 to $15, including BBs, a magazine for the BBs and a battery for the laser site, police said.
Officers confiscated seven BB-guns on display in Divas, police said.
The boy’s mother said he and friends were eating at a restaurant before they went into Divas for movies. He saw the BB-guns and bought one, she said. The boy was grounded and lectured after the incident, his mother said.