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BB guns everywhere – Escondido, Lemon Grove, South Park, Universit Hts, Imperial Beach, Golden Hill
'What was that?'
Posted on Next Door
On February 20, around 10 pm, a man in Escondido was shot in the face by a BB gun, according to 911 Video News. The shots came from a gas station on the 1200 block of West Valley Parkway. Police later caught the suspects in a gray four-door sedan on Auto Parkway and took them into custody.
Just last summer, about five miles east of the recent Thursday BB shooting, another man was reportedly shot with a BB gun on Hypoint Avenue, also in Escondido.
Despite the TikTok-fueled BB gun and Orbeez gun challenges peaking three years ago, these pranks that can blind someone, or worse, haven’t gone away. Over the last year, people in the county have continued reporting like attacks; a suspected shooter is still locked up in jail.
Police later caught the suspects in a gray four-door sedan on Auto Parkway.
In December, students at Lemon Grove Academy Middle School spotted what looked like a firearm in a classmate’s backpack. Still, they didn’t report it to school staff until three days later, according to East County Magazine. Sheriff’s deputies later determined the weapon was a plastic BB gun the student had shown to classmates, and Lieutenant Joe Barry confirmed the BB gun was seized without incident.
In November, three 19-year-old men accused of drive-by gel pellet attacks in Hillcrest were charged with hate crimes, reported CBS 8 San Diego, adding that a fourth person during that time was also connected and was already locked up. The three suspects pleaded not guilty and were due in court in February 2025 for a preliminary hearing.
In September, LGBTQ+ advocate Eddie Reynoso said to CBS 8 News he lost work and housing after suffering a pellet gun attack injury in Hillcrest last year.
On July 18, around 1:00 am, El Cajon Police responded to another BB gun attack. According to 619 News Media, a man was stopped at a light on 2nd Avenue when another car pulled up; the driver said something and then opened fire. The victim was hit in the neck by a BB and shattered glass, and another BB left a dent in his car. Due to a language barrier, the victim didn’t understand what was said before the attack. Police have no suspect description and are still investigating.
That same month, several people on the Nextdoor app told of similar BB stories. Grisel A. from University Heights described his car being hit while driving on the I-5 freeway. "I was traveling with a passenger when we suddenly heard a very loud bang inside my car. We both asked, ‘What was that?’ When we got to the airport, we discovered the damage. They told me it was a BB gun. Thank God they didn’t hurt us—it was just the glass."
Amber V. responded to Geisel's post, saying her back window was shattered in a similar attack. Patricia from South Park recalled her front windshield being struck on the freeway, calling the experience terrifying. Fern A. from North Park said her front windshield was pegged, while Jeremiah B. from Golden Hill reported the same thing happening to his car on the I-5 northbound lane around that same time.
Also in July, the San Diego Police Department responded to a road rage incident in the Southcrest neighborhood. Officers received a call about a man pointing a firearm at another driver during an argument over speeding. Police tracked the suspect to his home and arrested him, later determining the weapon was a BB gun.
And back in June, in Imperial Beach, Amanda F. posted on social media about a disturbing incident involving teens in a maroon-color Nissan Sentra. "Some teenagers are driving around pretending to do a drive-by," she wrote in the post. "My kids were playing basketball when they drove past, put the car in reverse, then pointed a toy gun at them and shot. It ended up being Orbeez, but what’s upsetting is my kids weren’t in on the joke. So they had no idea it was fake." Amanda added that she filed a police report and warned other parents by staying alert on Louden Lane and Oneonta Avenue, north of the Tijuana River Estuary.
In 2023, over 12 million BB and pellet guns were sold in the U.S., many looking almost identical to bona fide firearms, reported CBS News last year. Without clear markings to distinguish them as toys with neon orange accents, police have mistaken these replica guns for real threats—leading to deadly encounters. On October 2024, at the time of this report, 12 people that year, including three minors, were reported shot and killed by police while holding replica guns.
Here's something you might be interested in.
BB guns everywhere – Escondido, Lemon Grove, South Park, Universit Hts, Imperial Beach, Golden Hill
'What was that?'
BB guns everywhere – Escondido, Lemon Grove, South Park, Universit Hts, Imperial Beach, Golden Hill
'What was that?'
Posted on Next Door
On February 20, around 10 pm, a man in Escondido was shot in the face by a BB gun, according to 911 Video News. The shots came from a gas station on the 1200 block of West Valley Parkway. Police later caught the suspects in a gray four-door sedan on Auto Parkway and took them into custody.
Just last summer, about five miles east of the recent Thursday BB shooting, another man was reportedly shot with a BB gun on Hypoint Avenue, also in Escondido.
Despite the TikTok-fueled BB gun and Orbeez gun challenges peaking three years ago, these pranks that can blind someone, or worse, haven’t gone away. Over the last year, people in the county have continued reporting like attacks; a suspected shooter is still locked up in jail.
Police later caught the suspects in a gray four-door sedan on Auto Parkway.
In December, students at Lemon Grove Academy Middle School spotted what looked like a firearm in a classmate’s backpack. Still, they didn’t report it to school staff until three days later, according to East County Magazine. Sheriff’s deputies later determined the weapon was a plastic BB gun the student had shown to classmates, and Lieutenant Joe Barry confirmed the BB gun was seized without incident.
In November, three 19-year-old men accused of drive-by gel pellet attacks in Hillcrest were charged with hate crimes, reported CBS 8 San Diego, adding that a fourth person during that time was also connected and was already locked up. The three suspects pleaded not guilty and were due in court in February 2025 for a preliminary hearing.
In September, LGBTQ+ advocate Eddie Reynoso said to CBS 8 News he lost work and housing after suffering a pellet gun attack injury in Hillcrest last year.
On July 18, around 1:00 am, El Cajon Police responded to another BB gun attack. According to 619 News Media, a man was stopped at a light on 2nd Avenue when another car pulled up; the driver said something and then opened fire. The victim was hit in the neck by a BB and shattered glass, and another BB left a dent in his car. Due to a language barrier, the victim didn’t understand what was said before the attack. Police have no suspect description and are still investigating.
That same month, several people on the Nextdoor app told of similar BB stories. Grisel A. from University Heights described his car being hit while driving on the I-5 freeway. "I was traveling with a passenger when we suddenly heard a very loud bang inside my car. We both asked, ‘What was that?’ When we got to the airport, we discovered the damage. They told me it was a BB gun. Thank God they didn’t hurt us—it was just the glass."
Amber V. responded to Geisel's post, saying her back window was shattered in a similar attack. Patricia from South Park recalled her front windshield being struck on the freeway, calling the experience terrifying. Fern A. from North Park said her front windshield was pegged, while Jeremiah B. from Golden Hill reported the same thing happening to his car on the I-5 northbound lane around that same time.
Also in July, the San Diego Police Department responded to a road rage incident in the Southcrest neighborhood. Officers received a call about a man pointing a firearm at another driver during an argument over speeding. Police tracked the suspect to his home and arrested him, later determining the weapon was a BB gun.
And back in June, in Imperial Beach, Amanda F. posted on social media about a disturbing incident involving teens in a maroon-color Nissan Sentra. "Some teenagers are driving around pretending to do a drive-by," she wrote in the post. "My kids were playing basketball when they drove past, put the car in reverse, then pointed a toy gun at them and shot. It ended up being Orbeez, but what’s upsetting is my kids weren’t in on the joke. So they had no idea it was fake." Amanda added that she filed a police report and warned other parents by staying alert on Louden Lane and Oneonta Avenue, north of the Tijuana River Estuary.
In 2023, over 12 million BB and pellet guns were sold in the U.S., many looking almost identical to bona fide firearms, reported CBS News last year. Without clear markings to distinguish them as toys with neon orange accents, police have mistaken these replica guns for real threats—leading to deadly encounters. On October 2024, at the time of this report, 12 people that year, including three minors, were reported shot and killed by police while holding replica guns.
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