A Pennsylvania teenager found out the hard way that it is a bad idea to use a toy weapon to rob a good citizen, especially when that person is armed with a real firearm.

Police noted the intended victim was walking with his girlfriend in East Kensington last week at around 11 p.m. when the suspect accosted them. The young man reportedly jammed the fake weapon into the man’s back and told him that he was being robbed.

The 21-year-old target initially complied with the 16-year-old robber’s demands, producing his wallet and keys. But when he turned to face the young assailant, he produced his own legal weapon.

A weapon that was not a toy.

Philadelphia Police Inspector D.F. Pace explained that the intended victim had no way of knowing that the object pushed against his body was not the real deal. “Having been pressed into the victim’s back, there would have been no way for them to know that.”

The teenage suspect was shot at least once in the leg, and he was taken to an area hospital for treatment. The toy gun was recovered at the scene.

Investigators continue their search for a second suspect.

Though no official announcement was made, it is clear from the facts presented in the case that the intended victim will almost certainly not face charges. Even in gun-controlled Philadelphia, there is still a Second Amendment-guaranteed right to self-defense when faced with what is reasonably believed to be a lethal threat.

As for the young man, he presumably learned an important lesson that will remain with him as he enters adulthood. It is the height of foolishness to make a person think they are under a deadly attack, especially when you are only armed with a plastic toy.

The consequences may have been far more permanent.

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