PEABODY — Someone decided the New Year was ripe for paintball attacks on cars and a home, leading police to say those paintball shootings could get someone hurt.
The first reported paintball attack was at 6:46 p.m. Thursday, when a man on Andover Street reported the balls flew from a white Toyota Celica with tinted windows. At 7:09 p.m., a Rockport woman reported her car had been hit with a single paintball while on Andover Street near the Century House restaurant.
A few minutes later, a man called police to say his car had been hit by a paintball in Wilson Square that came from a small white two-door sedan.
Yesterday morning, an Endicott Street resident reported her house had been vandalized by paintballs, which also spattered her car.
Peabody police Lt. Dennis Bonaiuto said some of the shootings were against moving cars, a dangerous proposition.
"If it involves a motor vehicle in traffic, it could cause an accident. That's our main concern," he said. "If people are in the vehicle that's being struck, it is very startling to those persons because they may not know immediately what's going on. If a paintball gun is being used, it could give an appearance of being a firearm.
"As well, sometimes there is property damage associated with these incidents. We take these calls very seriously and vigorously investigate these incidents," Bonaiuto added.
Police looking for the paintball gunmen stopped a white Toyota Celica at 7:19 p.m. on Hardy Street, but said everything there checked out.
Bonaiuto said most of the reports came from a small area in a short period of time, leading police to believe one group is involved.
Anyone with information about the vandalism should call Peabody police at 978-531-1226.
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