Police in Colorado are searching for a suspect who allegedly shot at two boys, injuring one of them, after they fired toy guns at passing cars. The incident occurred when James Fahey’s 11-year-old son and his 10-year-old friend were playing with Gel Blaster water guns in the yard on a Friday night. The toys shoot small, colorful water pellets that pop on impact.
When the boys made their way over to a back fence at the end of the street, they went through a gate onto the sidewalk of Alameda Parkway and began firing at cars. According to police, someone fired back. Investigators say that the person was on the passenger side of a white Subaru hatchback or sedan occupied by three people. The passenger allegedly rolled down a window and shot once at the two boys.
“Out of nowhere, I heard my son yell, ‘Run!’ And I could hear someone running and then a loud bang,” Fahey said.
The police are still unsure if the weapon involved was a firearm or a pellet gun. Fahey’s son was unharmed, but his friend was grazed in the leg and taken to the hospital by his parents. The 10-year-old’s parents say he will be OK, but their son is still shaken from the incident.
Fahey acknowledges that the boys should not have been firing at the cars but hopes that this incident sends a warning to other parents. “Whether the person was trying to just scare the boys, shooting at them, didn’t intentionally try to shoot him, or if that was his intent, either way, I think that’s ridiculous,” he said.
Police advise against pointing any type of gun – toy or not – at anyone, especially at night, since it’s difficult to distinguish between a real or fake weapon.
