It's another day when airsoft communities around the world collectively sighed in utter sadness as another young life gets snuffed out for carrying an airsoft gun in public. In Cleveland, Ohio, 12-year old Tamir Rice was shot by responding police officers acting on reports of a person pointing a gun at people at a playground. Rice was shot last Saturday and died from his wounds on Sunday morning.

The police said that they asked Rice to raise his hands, but then pulled the gun from his waist, resulting into the police shooting him. The police were said to be not informed by the 911 dispatcher that the person who called in to report on Rice mentioned that it was "probably a fake."

Upon investigation, the firearm that was found on Rice is an airsoft pistol with the orange tip removed. The officers involved in the shooting were put on administrative leave pending further investigation.

After the discovery that the firearm is an airsoft gun, a lawmaker in Ohio, State Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati), is proposing a law that would require all BB guns, air rifles and 'airsoft' guns sold in Ohio to be brightly coloured or have prominent fluorescent strips. Called the "John Crawford" Law, named after John Crawford who was shot inside a Walmart Store in Beavercreek, Ohio by police, for carrying an air rifle he picked from the store.

In the airsoft community, there have been some calls that airsoft guns should not be sold to minors like Rice  or that minors should not be allowed to carry airsoft guns without adult supervision. This requires some more soul searching, especially in the U.S. airsoft communities. It is ironic that in Ohio, which is an open carry state, a young boy gets shot by the police for carrying one even if it's a replica.

The story is still fresh as there are reports that a video shows that Rice was not pointing the gun at the responding police officers.  Once investigation is complete, it will be presented to a Grand Jury which will decide if a criminal case will be brought forward.