It is said to have started on the Internet.
A quick "how-to" search, and the teenager had the information he needed to build a stun gun. After constructing the device, the boy from Flesherton, Ont., sold it to his friend for $20, OPP said.
Described by police as "good young men" who probably didn't realize the Taser-like device could land them criminal records, the teens are not accused of firing the weapon. But one of the boys took the stapler-sized gadget to school on Wednesday. A teacher at Grey Highlands Secondary School called police.
"It was a homemade device ... and it was in working order," said OPP Const. Steve Starr. "I don't think the student realized they are a prohibited weapon."
The device was seized by police with the full co-operation of the boys, aged 15 and 17, whose names are protected.
In the end, police warned the boys. They face discipline by the school.
A "how to build a stun gun" search on google.ca produces more than 1million results; the first is a site linked to the University of Guelph.
"We weren't aware of this," said Lori Bona Hunt, a spokesperson for the university. All employees and students are permitted to link their personal home pages to the university's site, she said.
Noting there is an "acceptable use policy," Bona Hunt said she examined the personal home page of university employee Tony van Roon and found nothing illegal about it.
After speaking to van Roon, an electronics hobbyist, Bona Hunt said he plans to remove that section from his site.
