Photos showing a passenger holding what looks to be a gun during a flight were posted on the social media platform WeChat on Monday, and have since attracted the public's attention. Netizens speculated that the gun-like prop in the photo may actually be an imitation gun or a laptop battery. The case is currently under investigation by Beijing airport police. An aviation law expert from the China University of Political Science believes that the passenger’s behavior may lead to punishment under the law.

In the photo, a male passenger points a gun-like object at two passengers sitting beside him. The two passengers display exaggerated expressions of panic. Some netizens said the object was an imitation gun, while others insisted it was a laptop battery.

A public service transferred the photo onto WeChat and commented that the passenger must be lacking legal awareness. The comment also mentioned the possibility of passengers panicking upon seeing the “gun” and moving away from it on the plane, which could put the aircraft at risk of losing balance if the movements were extreme enough. "It is not a joke," the comment concluded.

Police in the Beijing Capital International Airport said that the case is under investigation at the moment.

Zhang Qihuai, an aviation law expert from the China University of Political Science, said the passenger's behavior violated China's civil aviation security regulations and other relevant provisions, which may lead to punishment under the law.