Man On Bike Attacked With Paintball Gun
Doctors Say Man Could Lose Sight After Being Hit With Paintballs
POSTED: Wednesday, November 7, 2007
UPDATED: 12:42 am EST November 7,
2007
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A Jacksonville man who recently became the victim of a drive-by paintball attack might lose sight in one of his eyes, doctors said.
Bualkham Hlan Ca, who is a refugee from Burma, said he was riding his bike home from work on Old St. Augustine Road Monday night when a car drove by and opened fire with paintball guns.
A day after the attack, red paint still covered the concrete on the front of the building and even the bushes near where Hlan Ca was shot multiple times with a paint ball gun.
"When they saw him, they just shot him right away. And when they shot him, they laughed at him like they were entertained," Hlan Ca's translator told Channel 4.
Hlan Ca said the group of men who drove by and opened fire hit him mostly in the eye. He said he could barely see out of his right eye anymore and that doctors told him it's possible he could lose his vision in it entirely.
"Doctors say that after 15 days we might know the results. Right now, they don't know for sure," said Hlan Ca's translator.
Police said there have been two other recent reports in the same area of paint ball attacks and it appears the same men are responsible.
"It is definitely not unique. It has happened before. Many times they shoot buildings, cars or objects. Other times they'll shoot people with these paint guns," said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson. "I don’t think their intention is to hurt anybody but because it did hit this individual and it hit him in the eye, it's a serious felony."
Investigators said they didn't get a good description of the paintball gun culprits, just that the men were in a red car.
Anyone with information about any recent paintball attacks is asked to call Crimestoppers at 866-845-TIPS.
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