New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sent cease-and-desist letters to several large U.S. retailers on Thursday after they allegedly sold illegal toy guns to consumers in the state.
Letters were sent to K-Mart, Amazon, ToyAresenal.com, Sears and Wal-Mart.
Under New York State law, toy guns in realistic colors -- including blue, silver, black or aluminum, can not be sold unless they have a 1-inch orange stripe on both sides of the barrel, as well as the barrel's front. The stripe must be non-removable.
“When toy guns are mistaken for real guns, there can be tragic consequences,” Schneiderman said. “New York State law is clear: retailers cannot put children and law enforcement at risk by selling toy guns that are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing.”
While most of the toy gun sales were made online, at least one occurred in a Rochester K-Mart store.
Wal-Mart also has received similar cease-and-desist requests from the attorney general's office after it allegedly sold similiar toy guns in its New York stores. The retail giant has since been banned from selling toy guns in the state.