Police: Teens arrested in random paintball attacks

By Jackie Valley

Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012 | 1:50 p.m.

Henderson Police have arrested three teens who allegedly went on an unprovoked paintball shooting spree, targeting random people, often after asking for directions, officials said.

Two of the victims were shot in the eye, police said.

Police arrested Robert Lockwood, 18, on Wednesday night and booked him into the Henderson Detention Center on five counts of discharging a weapon where a person might be endangered and five counts of conspiracy, officials said.

His alleged accomplices include a 16-year-old boy, who faces eight counts each of the same two charges, and a 17-year-old boy, who faces three counts each of the two charges, police said. The minors, whose names were not released, were booked into the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center on Wednesday.

The attacks began Dec. 19 in the Boulder Highway area when three separate victims reported to police they had been shot by a paintball from a passing car, police said.

The drive-by attacks resumed two days later.

In one instance, a victim told police a car slowed while someone in the backseat allegedly fired at him, striking his head, officials said.

Later that day, another person said he was walking when a car pulled up next to him and someone asked for directions, police said. A backseat passenger allegedly shot him in the head, police said.

The attacks intensified Dec. 26 when a 22-year-old man working at Walmart on Lake Mead Parkway was shot in the eye, police said.

The victim told police he was collecting shopping carts when a driver pulled up and asked for directions. As he responded, a passenger allegedly shot him in the eye, police said.

The man was transported to St. Rose Hospital’s Rode de Lima Campus for treatment, officials said.

Two more victims reported incidents Dec. 27 and Dec. 28.

The last reported attack on Dec. 28 followed the same pattern: A driver pulled up next to a person walking on Major Avenue, near Morrell Park, and asked for directions; a passenger allegedly fired a paintball gun, striking the victim’s eye, police said.

As the victim waited for medical help, the suspects allegedly parked nearby and yelled threats, police said.

Officers eventually located the car allegedly used in the attacks and found a paintball gun in the trunk, police said.

Authorities said the suspects did not have a motive nor did they know any of the victims.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Henderson Police Department at (702) 267-4750 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555 or visit crimestoppersofnv.com.