Cameras Fail To Catch Blowgun Suspect On Bridge

SAN FRANCISCO - Whoever shot two pedestrians with blowgun darts on the Golden Gate Bridge last week appears to have managed to avoid bridge video surveillance cameras, the California Highway Patrol said Wednesday.

The pedestrians were shot with metal darts from a blowgun on Feb. 9 while they walked northbound on the east sidewalk somewhere between 2 and 2:30 p.m., according to the CHP.

The first victim flagged down a bicycle patrol officer in the Golden Gate Bridge Vista Point parking lot around 2:45 p.m. to report being shot. The dart had penetrated one to two inches into the victim’s thigh.

A second victim approached while they were talking and told the officer she had also been shot by an identical dart, the CHP said.

Both victims were treated by paramedics and released at the scene.

Investigators have analyzed camera footage from around the Golden Gate Bridge during the relevant time period, but found that neither of the incidents were captured on film.

No suspects or suspect vehicles have been identified, the CHP said.

The darts, which are described as being around 5 inches long with a white plastic cap on the back end, will be sent to a state crime lab for analysis, officials said.

Investigators are working to determine whether the act was caught on camera.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the CHP’s Marin Area Office at (415) 924-1100 or 1(800) TELLCHP.

-Bay City News, image via ShutteStock