Gun Ban Forces Schools to Buy Starter Pistols

Eight high schools are scrambling for starter pistols after the Los Angeles Unified School District’s athletic office informed them of a ban on the use of real guns at track meets.

Earlier this year, the district learned that many track starters were shooting blanks from firearms because, as starters explained, real guns are louder and produce more visible smoke than starter pistols.

“Obviously that goes against our zero-tolerance policy prohibiting live guns on campus,” said Jeff Halpern, an advisor in the district’s athletic office.

In a memo one week ago, Halpern informed coaches and athletic directors that “track starters will no longer be able to use a real gun to start our track meets” and asked that for now, schools with starter pistols share with schools that don’t have them.

On Thursday, the district alerted eight schools without starter pistols about its ban. The schools are scheduled to compete in track meets this spring, including two meets that begin today between Lincoln and Marshall and Belmont and Hollywood.