Crime & Safety

Worcester Pedestrians Shot By Paintballs, Two Arrested

The 16-year-old and 19-year-old were arrested early Saturday near Elm Park.

Worcester police arrested two people early Saturday morning after a series of paintball shootings.
Worcester police arrested two people early Saturday morning after a series of paintball shootings. (Neal McNamara/Patch)

WORCESTER, MA — Several Worcester pedestrians were victims of drive-by paintball shootings over the weekend, leading police to arrest two people hours after the shootings.

Multiple pedestrians on Friday reported being hit by paintballs, which are messy and painful, but not typically lethal. The victims reported that the shots came from a gray Honda Civic.

"Officers observed paint on victims, who reported that the vehicle stopped near them and a male fired paintballs at them," police said in a news release over the weekend.

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A Worcester officer saw the vehicle driving in the neighborhood south of Elm Park just after midnight Saturday. When the officer went to pull the driver over, a 16-year-old passenger jumped out of the car and ran toward Pleasant Street.

The driver, a 19-year-old Standish Street resident, was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended license and assault and battery. After being caught, the 16-year-old was also set to face assault and battery charges. Police said officers found a paintball gun in the Civic.

Find out what's happening in Worcesterfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

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