If you choose to carry or use a gun there are three options for your future:
Being arrested and ending up spending years locked up in a prison or youth offenders' institution;
Being shot at and injured;
Being shot at and killed.
If you carry a toy or imitation gun you may cause police to believe the gun is real and send armed police to respond, thus increasing your own risk of being shot. Don't take a toy or imitation gun out into public.
In other cases people are using toy or imitation guns that have been converted to fire real ammunition. These are known to explode in the users hands causing horrific injuries because they are not designed to be a proper gun.
Carrying a gun puts your friends and family at risk. Do you want to be responsible for them being threatened, injured or killed? Or perhaps you would prefer them to plan your funeral or occasionally drop in to see you in prison?
You can help stop the guns. If you have information on anyone involved in gun crime tell someone. If you don't want to tell the police directly you can tell a teacher, a responsible adult you trust or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. You don't have to give your name and they won't be able to tell it is you that called. They will pass the information you give them to police who will be able to take action on it, without identifying you.