Six Shot With BB-Gun

Police in the 109th Precinct are asking residents in north Flushing and Whitestone to help them find the unknown gunman or gunmen who have been on a shooting spree - targeting people with a BB-gun.
The shooter or shooters are wanted for six counts of felony assault.
“We’ve noticed a pattern,” said Police Officer Kevin O’Donnell, the anti-crime officer at the 109th Precinct. “So far, we have six assaults in the last two weeks. Thankfully, all the injuries were relatively minor, but the next one could be a disaster,” O’Donnell said.
The first shooting came just after midnight on Sunday, September 23. A white female under the age of 16 was shot in the back, through the window of her home near 14th Avenue and 156th Street in Whitestone.
Since then, there have been five additional incidents on the street. All have been on Tuesdays, on September 25 and October 2, all between approximately 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. The only description is that the shooter is a male, and may have fled in an automobile.
“People are always distraught after being assaulted, especially if they’ve been shot at,” O’Donnell said. “But it’s important to keep your wits about you. Try to get a description of the assailant, especially try to get a description of the vehicle.”
Police stress that it isn’t important to get everything. “A plate number would be great, but the make and model - even just the color - can help us get people like this off the streets.”
The first victim of each evening’s shooting spree was a female Asian. Subsequent victims were white males. Both females were shot in the right leg or thigh. The three male victims were shot in the right torso, left side or abdomen.
Generations of older Americans have fond memories of their “Daisy” lever-action BB-rifles from the days of Roy Rogers and the “Red Ryder.” The name-brand company has manufactured them since 1866.
On their web site, the company stresses that “Air guns are real guns and not toys. You or others can be killed or seriously injured if (safety) rules are not followed.”
Indeed, modern BB-guns often resemble large-caliber weapons, and some are sold with laser or telescopic sights. There is an unsolved murder in New York City where a man was shot and killed with a poison-laced BB.
Contrary to popular belief, the name doesn’t come from “ball bearing,” but from a size of shot in shotgun shells for bird hunting, which run from B to BBB.
In New York, guns which use springs or gas to fire a projectile are covered by the same law as conventional firearms, so the current shooting spree is getting lots of attention by the Police Department.
O’Donnell wants you to know that if you see anyone with a BB-gun “or even a paint-ball gun” you should immediately call 9-1-1.
He also requests anyone with information about these assaults, or any illegal guns, to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477).
You don’t have to give your name, and you might just save a neighbor.