Paintball Prankster Draws Gunfire, Hit In Shoulder
(CBS) – At least two men firing paintballs at people on Halloween evening apparently were themselves fired upon by someone with a real gun, and one of the two pranksters was injured.
Police say a 21-year-old man was shot around 7:45 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Emerald Avenue in the Gresham neighborhood. The victim had a gunshot wound to his shoulder and was taken to St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center in stable condition.
The shooting victim is considered a suspect in a paintball attack that occurred earlier in the evening, police said. A second suspect, a 39-year-old male, was taken into custody, and two paintball guns were recovered, according to Chicago Police News Affairs.
Andrew Holmes said the paintball suspects may have gotten more than they bargained for. He had previously warned the public about paintball shooters who post videos of their exploits online.
"We don't believe in retaliation, but this is the end result that would have happened. You discharge a weapon at someone, then they discharge a real one at you," Holmes told reporters.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones interviewed a woman who lives at 78th and Emerald Avenue who says she was hit in the face by a paintball fired from a group of three men, before a separate group fired real bullets.
"It hurt so bad," the victim said of her own injury.
No one is in custody for the shooting that injured the 21-year-old.
