GROVELAND, Mass. — A teen is under arrest for allegedly shooting children with a paintball gun on Saturday night in what police are calling a social media trend.
A 17-year-old male was charged with assault and battery. He has been issued a summons to appear in Lawrence Juvenile Court on August 2.
Groveland Police say two children were walking in the area of Main Street and Broad Street around 8:15 p.m. when a passing vehicle rolled down its window and a suspect began shooting a splatter ball gun at them. These guns can shoot gel balls, pellets, or beads.
Both children suffered bruises, according to police.
A follow-up investigation determined the 17-year-old juvenile was the passenger in the car shooting at the children.
The investigation remains active and ongoing, as the driver of the vehicle, who is believed to be from New Hampshire, has not been identified at this time.
“It’s troubling to think it’s considered acceptable to scare and potentially hurt someone just to get attention on social media,” Chief Jeffrey 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.”
This isn’t the only incident Groveland Police have allegedly dealt with in recent weeks.
On June 17, police say they responded to Main Street and Elm Park for a report of someone shooting pellets at people. There were no reported injuries but a juvenile from Dracut was charged. The two incidents are unrelated, according to officials.
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