What sounded like a potential shooting on one of Coronado’s busiest stretches last Saturday turned out to be a man waving around a lighter made to look like a handgun, according to police. Officers detained a 46-year-old man on the 1000 block of Orange Avenue after a law-enforcement helicopter helped track him down. No shots were fired, and no injuries were reported.
Coronado police say officers were called around 6:53 PM, and the San Diego Police Department’s Airborne Law Enforcement helicopter helped locate the suspect and guide officers in, according to SanDiegoVille. Officers took the man into custody without incident while detectives canvassed the area.
Police later confirmed that the object in question was a lighter that had been fashioned to resemble a pistol, and no real firearms were recovered. The 46-year-old man, who police say is on parole, was booked on an active misdemeanor warrant, Coronado police told The Coronado Times.
Neighborhood chatter and mistaken reports
Before officers could get the all-clear out, social media did what it does best. Posts in local groups quickly lit up with claims of a shooting near The Henry on Orange Avenue, stirring up concern in the neighborhood, SanDiegoVille reported. Once the police on the ground confirmed that there was no actual gunfire, the restaurant and nearby shops continued to operate normally.
Legal consequences for imitation weapons
Even when the weapon turns out to be fake, the legal trouble can be real. In California, pointing an imitation firearm can be a crime if it is used in a threatening way. Penal Code 417.4 makes drawing or exhibiting an imitation firearm in a threatening manner a misdemeanor with a minimum jail term in many cases, and prosecutors may pursue brandishing-related charges depending on the facts, legal summaries note. See Shouse Law for an overview.
What the police say now
Coronado police say no shots were fired and that the incident remains under investigation. At the time of reporting, the department had not released the suspect’s name or filed additional charges beyond the active warrant, The Coronado Times noted. Authorities are urging residents to lean on official updates rather than neighborhood rumor mills while investigators wrap up their follow-up work.
