A Groveland teen is being charged in connection with shooting a splatter ball gun out of a car window and causing two struck children to suffer bruises.
Groveland Police Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen said the 17-year-old juvenile was charged with assault and battery following a Saturday, July 15, early evening incident in the area of Main and Broad Streets. Police said a vehicle slowed and the passenger rolled down the window and shot what appeared to be a splatter ball gun at the children. A splatter ball gun shoots gel balls, pellets or beads. The chief blamed social media.
“It’s troubling to think it’s considered acceptable to scare and potentially hurt someone just to get attention on social media,” Gillen said. “We ask parents to be aware of what their children are doing, and ask the public to contact us any time they see behavior they think is suspicious.”
The teen, identified during a preliminary police investigation, was issued a summons to appear Aug. 2 in Lawrence Juvenile Court. The identity of driver of the vehicle, a juvenile believed to be from New Hampshire, is not yet known. The investigation is continuing.
As WHAV reported earlier, Groveland police also arrested a 16-year-old in a similar, but apparently unrelated incident at Main Street and Elm Park.