Little Rock, AR - Inspired by a real life tragedy, one Arkansas lawmaker wants to ban the sale of certain toy guns to kids.  The proposed measure would make it illegal to sell real-looking toy guns to anyone under 18.  This is called the Deaunta Farrow Act, after the West Memphis 12 year old who was killed by police because he was holding a toy gun that was mistaken for the real thing. The bill's sponsor says this will help prevent that kind of tragedy.

Twelve year old Deaunta Farrow was killed outside a West Memphis apartment complex in 2007. Police say he was holding a toy gun, which officers thought was the real thing.  Representative Fred Allen hopes his bill will help prevent confusion in the future.

(Rep Fred Allen, (D) Little Rock) “What this is going to do is make it difficult for retailers to sell toy guns to young kids. I'm talking about guns that if you put a toy gun up next to the real gun, it's hard to distinguish if it's real or not real."

The measure bans selling anything "indistinguishable from a real firearm," to anyone under 18.  At Toy Up in Little Rock, managers say they already only sell toy guns with an orange tip. Other local toy stores we checked said the same thing.

(Josh Tratz, Toy Up) "I think it's important that play guns look like play guns so there's no question."

Allen says his legislation, which would also set up an awareness campaign on the issue, is a matter of public safety.

(Allen) "Things like this are happening all around the country and if I can get this legislation passed, I feel I can curtail some of these events in the state of Arkansas."

The measure's expected to come up in committee next week.

Full Legislature Wrap with Arkansas News Bureau.

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