Teens Shoot Homeless Man With Paintballs: Police

LYNNWOOD, WA - Four teen boys were arrested in Lynnwood early Sunday for allegedly shooting a homeless man in the face with a paintball gun while he was walking to work. All four teens are either 15 or 16 years old, police said. The victim is in his 50s.

The victim reportedly found a Lynnwood officer while he was conducting an unrelated traffic stop in the 19200-block of 196th Street Southwest around 12 a.m. Jan. 20. The victim told the officer he was walking through a nearby church's parking lot when a blue four-door sedan loaded with teens pulled up alongside him and fired several paintball pellets, hitting him in the face and chest.

The boys fled after the alleged assault, the victim said, noting he could hear the boys laughing as they drove away. Initially, the man said, he thought he'd been shot with a real gun. The officer noted the victim had swelling and bruising under one of his eyes.

Officers searched the area and quickly found the boys driving nearby, reportedly making "odd turns" and occasionally shutting off the vehicle's headlights. Officers stopped the car and while speaking with the teens spotted the paintball gun, police said.

The boys were arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault and taken to Denney Juvenile Justice Center. Two of the boys are from Edmonds, one is from Woodinville, and the other is from Lynnwood, police said.

(Sign up for our free daily newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Edmonds Patch)

Image via Shutterstock