BURBANK : Student Detained Over ‘Gun’ Lighter

A 21-year-old student caused a stir when he brought a cigarette lighter that looked like a pistol to Allan Adult School, Burbank police said Friday.

Luis Manuel Ramirez of Burbank was detained by police and suspended from the school after he brought the lighter Thursday, said Sgt. Bob Brode.

“He was holding his lighter in his hand and was apparently showing it to his friends,” Brode said. “Two witnesses looked over and thought it looked like a gun” and reported it to authorities.

“He was very cooperative and did not realize the seriousness of what he was doing,” Brode said. “He did not point it at anyone or threaten anyone. . . . To my knowledge, there was no criminal violation, but if you bring one of these on campus you can cause quite a panic.”

Two students have been shot and killed in recent months at schools in the L.A. Unified School District. Many districts, including Burbank, have adopted new procedures, such as metal detectors, to keep guns off campuses. Many school districts include replicas, which look like guns, in the ban even if they do not fire.