2 children, 8 and 10, hit with frozen projectiles —
A 14-year-old Peachtree City boy has been charged with aggravated assault and another 14-year-old from Peachtree City was charged with aggravated assault-party to a crime in a March 14 incident where an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were shot with projectiles from splatter ball guns that had been frozen to cause more bodily harm, police said.
On March 14 at approximately 3:26 p.m. the Peachtree City Police Department along with Fire and Rescue responded to the Battery Way Boat Docks in reference to children being shot with ‘Orbeez’ from “splatter ball guns.” Upon arrival, officers observed an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old with injuries to the face and abdomen as a result of the incident, according to Peachtree City police.
Police said four 17-year-old males were located in the area with splatter ball guns when law enforcement arrived. Through the course of interviews, it was determined that these four were not the ones that caused the injuries to the victims.
The four males were all charged with the city ordinance violation of discharging weapons restricted. Officers reviewed video from city cameras and observed a second golf cart occupied by the suspected offenders, police said.
“On March 15, officers located the occupants on the second golf cart, and the investigation revealed the identity of the subjects responsible for shooting the Orbeez. Due to the area of the injury on the juvenile victim, the unprovoked nature of the crime, the freezing of the Orbeez to cause more bodily harm and the fact that the victims were riding bicycles at the time of the incident, one 14-year-old male was charged with aggravated assault and another (14-year-old) was charged with aggravated assault (party to a crime) and underage operation of a golf cart,” police said.
Peachtree City Police Department spokesman Donte Phillips said both the younger children were riding bicycles when the shooting occurred.
Phillips noted that one of the kids was struck in the abdomen while the other was struck in the face and abdomen.
The names of those charged were not released because they are minors.
Police said one parent was charged with the ordinance violation of operation regulations, due to permitting her son to operate the cart while underage.
Beyond the issues relating to the incident, police had a message for parents.
“The Peachtree City Police Department reminds parents to have conversations with their children about the serious implications of this dangerous trend. All violations of city ordinance or state law regarding discharging of these weapons on city property or at unwilling participants will be prosecuted accordingly,” police said.
If you have any further information regarding this incident, please call 770-487-8866 or email policepublicinfo@peachtree-city.org.
