Aug 24, 2008 3:02 pm US/Eastern
N.J. Teens Arrested For Firing Frozen Paintballs
Victim Sent To Hospital, 3 Will Be Charged As Juveniles
by CBS 2HD's Carolyn Costello
TOTOWA, N.J. (CBS) ―
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Totowa, N.J. residents say teenagers have targeted their town for a number of pranks. The latest involved a drive-by frozen paintball shooting.
CBS
If it was meant to be funny, it wasn't. A teenage prank in a small New
Jersey town turned violent. A man was knocked unconscious and
hospitalized after being shot with frozen paintballs.
Thomas Kaminski suffered bruises on his body and head. Police said a group of teenagers shot him and his neighbors with paintballs that were frozen and hard as rocks.
Kaminski was knocked out and rushed to the hospital. He has lost partial hearing in his right ear.
"The one thing I remember I'm having coffee with my friends. Next thing [I'm in] St. Josephs hospital," Kaminski said.
It's not the first time this community has been hit by a drive-by paintball shooting. Totowa residents said they are often the target of mean pranks and vandalism. They said they've been singled out - even dubbed "Midgetville" by a popular magazine, because the homes here are small.
The town set up a road block to prevent vandals from speeding off after causing damage.
"I was shot in January by a drive-by," a resident told CBS 2 HD. Another added, "They were asking 'Where are the midgets'? My husband said 'Do I look like a midget'?'"
Neighbors said teenagers were hanging out when a car pulled up. Someone with a gun shot the frozen paintballs.
Tired of the pranks, Ken Lanza said he cornered the van full of teenagers with his car, and held the driver until police arrived.
Three teenagers from Wayne high school were arrested and will be charged as juveniles.
Lanza and his neighbors are hoping Kaminski's serious injury will make kids think twice before striking again.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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