Police: Paintball Assailants Have Damaged Property, Injured People In Queens
Updated Thursday, June 11 9:18 a.m.
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Paintball guns are supposed to be used for a game, but whoever has been leaving splatters on cars and homes in Queens is now pulling the trigger on people.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, the paintball assailants have already caused at least one serious injury.
"All of the sudden, I heard a very loud pounding," said Wendy Keiser-O'Neill.
Police: Paintball Assailants Have Damaged Property, Injured People In Queens
The pounding turned out to be nearly 10 shots fired with a paintball gun at the North Presbyterian Church in Flushing, Queens, as Keiser-O'Neill worked inside on the night of Monday, June 1. Photos captured the mess of blue paint left behind.
"It was a splattering all over the door," she said. "It wasn't even like they were trying to do a target."
Keiser-O'Neill's car was parked out front, and was also hit.
Police: Paintball Assailants Have Damaged Property, Injured People In Queens
"Just to think that somebody was just shooting -- randomly shooting at targets -- it makes you feel very scared and unsafe," she said.
Police said that incident was one of seven paintball attacks in Queens in the last few weeks. The first started back on May 25 on 17th Road in Whitestone.
The Maris family was home when their front window was shot at.
"All of the sudden, it went boom -- and then I saw my screen broken, and then orange paint was all over the window," said Marlene Maris.
The suspects also fired their paintball gun a few houses away – not before stealing as potted plant and Kimberly Leone's son's toys right off the front porch.
"Now we have to look around and look over our shoulder, like, why is this happening?" Leone said.
But even more terrifying, police said the three teenage suspects are now driving around and shooting at people in the area.
Last Thursday night, a 48-year-old woman was hit, and then a 29-year-old man. And on Friday night, a 15-year-old was struck, and later, a 17-year-old boy who suffered a serious eye injury.
Police believe the suspects may even be videotaping their violent crimes. The victims want them caught.
"It does make me think -- what's going to happen next, and what's going to happen to me?" Leone said. "And it's very scary."
"They really should prosecute them," Donna Angenbroich, of Whitestone, told WCBS 880's Sean Adams. "And I mean this poor kid who's probably lost the sight in his eye, they really should go to jail."
Police in the 109th Precinct believe the suspects are riding around in a black sport-utility vehicle -- possibly a Jeep Liberty -- and they're urging residents to be on the lookout.
