Three siblings, ages 12 and younger, were arrested by Baton Rouge Police this week and released to their parents after they climbed the fence around a BREC park last month, carrying BB guns made to look like real weapons.
Security video of the July 20 incident showed that the children were carrying what appeared to be two handguns when they scaled the fence around the BREC Howell Community Park pool on Winbourne Avenue at about 11 a.m. on a Sunday, officials said.
Investigators learned, though, that the weapons were BB guns that belonged to the children's father. The children had painted the orange tips of the gun — the marks of a toy gun — black "to make them appear real," Baton Rouge police said in a news release.
A fourth child who took part in the incident was 7 years old and was not arrested, police said.
The Baton Rouge parks and recreation agency closed the Howell Park pool indefinitely after the incident. Officials said Friday the facility will remain closed until further notice.
Besides carrying what appeared to be handguns, the children got into the pool unsupervised, BREC said in a news release at the time.
The children ran away, without confrontation, when staff approached them, BREC said.
"The decision to close the pool was made to ensure the safety of all visitors and allow for a thorough assessment of the situation," the agency said.
The three children, ages 10, 11 and 12, were each arrested on a count of unauthorized entry of a business and released to their parent, pending their court date, the news release said.