Teenager Charged With Assault After Allegedly Shooting Two With Paintball Gun at Temple

Photo by iStock/Igor Terekhov

Philadelphia police have charged a 16-year-old who allegedly shot two people with a paintball gun on Temple University’s Main Campus on Sunday.

Police responded to reports of the unidentified 16-year-old paintball shooter just before 2 p.m., according to Officer Christine O’Brien, a police department spokesperson. The suspect was allegedly shooting passersby with the paintball gun from inside a house on the 1500 block of Diamond Street.

According to police, the suspect shot two 21-year-old men when they were walking near the house. Neither was badly injured. When the men attempted to approach the house, the suspect opened the door and fired the paintball gun at the men again, missing them, according to police.

The teenager briefly remained in the house when police arrived. Surrounding streets were closed off and a TU Alert about increased police activity in the area was sent to students at around 3 p.m.

Police said four people eventually left the house, and the suspect was identified and charged with aggravated assault, possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person.

Police reportedly said officers first received reports of paintball firings on the campus on Saturday night.

Wait… wait… there was a police standoff with a WHAT at Temple? A paintball gun? No seriously… what?

— Tomato Low Rent (@Nicoley410) October 31, 2016

https://twitter.com/AngeliqueNels/status/792546666289201152

Last week, police arrested at least four juveniles after more than two hundred youths took part in a flash mob on the campus and a series of assaults ensued.

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