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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Two students have been suspended from school after another child was shot with plastic pellets from a spring-powered airsoft gun after class on the Mildred Hall School playground last Friday.

A pellet gun similar to this - which is available for as little as $20 at some local stores - was used by a student against another at Mildred Hall School after class on Friday, according to the school's principal.

The boy who was shot was not injured, said RCMP Const. Kathy Law, who added she didn't know how many times the gun was fired.

One student had gone home after school Friday and brought the handgun-shaped airsoft gun back to the schoolyard, said Stephen Boss, principal of Mildred Hall School. Another student fired the gun, hitting a third student, he said.

Boss said when he found out about the incident Friday evening, he immediately contacted the parents of the students involved, as well as the RCMP.

Whether charges will be laid or not "is unknown at this time, but I think that's up to parents at this point," he said.

However, he said the two students accused of being involved in the shooting are currently suspended.

"They won't be in school for a certain amount of time ... and there's a restitution element to it as well - we want to make sure it's a learning experience for everyone," said Boss, adding the school will be bringing in an elder to talk the students about their actions.

Airsoft guns are not legally considered firearms and can be purchased by anyone 18 or older at local stores for as little as $20.

"I'm pretty sure everybody has to be 18 or over to buy them, unless they're with their parent," said Richard Farquhar, manager of Wal-Mart in Yellowknife. "There's restrictions that come up on our registers when we scan them in - it asks for ID for anything restricted."

Law, who contacted both Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire, said there is somewhat of a loophole in the system - that being the youth's parents or guardians.

"Canadian Tire advised that a lot of the time kids will go in with parents, and the parents will purchase (the guns)," she said, adding a parent should be present whenever the guns are used by someone under 18.

Law said the consequences of a youth being in possession of this weapon could be dire.

"I think the things that concern us the most are obviously the fact that they could seriously injure another person," said Law, citing that the plastic pellets could cause serious damage to sensitive areas like the eyes - which could result in an assault with a weapon charge.

Law added that "sometimes the gun is black in colour and looks like a real gun, and can be mistaken for a real gun. Depending on whether we know it's a real gun or a fake gun, how we react will be very, very different."

In April 2008, four youths were arrested near St. Patrick High School after shooting at each other with realistic looking airsoft guns. Police surrounded their vehicle with real guns drawn, while the youth were ordered out of the car one by one and handcuffed.

After realizing the guns were not actual firearms and there was no intent to harm anyone, or any property, the youth were released.