Ferndale police arrest three juveniles after residents targeted with BB guns
FERNDALE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Ferndale police arrested three juveniles in connection to multiple reports of residents being struck by air-soft BB guns by a passing vehicle.
Police responded to two reports on July 1 and a third on July 3. Officials say during the July 3 incident, the victim was at a dog park on Hilton Road when a red SUV drove by and shot the victim with what they thought were BBs. The victim got the license plate and reported it to police.
Ferndale police say no injuries have been reported and officials believe all three incidents are connected. Since the juveniles were arrested, no further incidents have been reported.
"I heard 'Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop' and like a bunch of shots, and I was like, what the heck was that?!" said a female Ferndale resident, who did not want to be identified.
It was a chilling moment for the resident, who described the moment a car drove past her neighbor's home while she was outside with some workers in the area near Hilton and Woodward Heights as someone in an SUV with a BB gun took aim.
"As I was standing there, a car came pretty fast down the street, so I looked. I saw somebody pointing a gun out the back window of the driver's side of the car with an orange tip," she said.
The worker was struck in the face but was not hurt. The vehicle, she says, quickly sped off.
"At first, I was confused, and then I started to think about it more, and I was like, that was not cool. Like, that's scary. I mean to hit that guy in the face…it could have hit him in the eye. It could be teenagers out there doing this thinking that it's funny and harmless, but it scares people and it could really hurt somebody," this resident said.
Similar incidents have circulated on social media. Some people have said the same thing happened when they walked their dog or were in their front yard near Breckenridge.
The situation has left the community feeling uneasy and on high alert.
"I'm actually pretty shocked that it's happening, and it's kind of alarming, to be honest," said Ferndale resident Samantha McPherson.
"That's really crazy that people are going around shooting BB guns at people walking their dogs. This is a place that I walk my dog a lot and that's crazy to hear," said Ferndale resident Kip Davis.
The suspects were released to their parents after being questioned. Police are still determining if a BB gun or gel blaster gun was used.
Officials say this was juvenile mischief and that there is no threat to the public.
