3 victims targeted in drive-by paintball attacks in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police confirm three people were hit by paintballs fired from a passing car on Monday. This may be an emerging pattern of attacks in the city.

Clayton Parker was at 31st and Girard getting a bike when he felt a sharp sting on his side.

"I had headphones in. I was like kind of in the zone not really paying that much attention to anything," he said. "All of a sudden something's stinging on my side. I was like real confused for a second. Looked down and saw some neon blue paint. And like by the time I realized I was hit by a paintball gun. I saw like a white car speeding off."

About 20 minutes later, another person became the victim of a paintball attack. This incident happened about a 10 minute drive away from where Parker was hit, in West Philadelphia, at 5501 Thompson Street.

An hour later, a third innocent victim was hit by a paintball fired from a car at 5107 Warren Street, also in West Philadelphia.

In those cases, the victims described the car as a gray Chrysler 300.

Not far away, at 51st and Westminster, Duane Shepherd said a couple days ago a woman on the block was hit by a paintball on the side of the head.

"She said she was standing up here and some guys rode up in a car and start spraying paint ball and bust her in the head and she fell to the ground," said Shepherd.

Paintball guns can be powerful, and they can also look very real. Parker is convinced the weapon used to target him was pretty powerful. Shepherd is concerned someone might mistake the paintball gun for one that's real.

We do know of another paintball attack a week ago at 62nd and Girard. If caught, the person doing this could be facing a criminal charge of aggravated assault.