Little Italy – On Wednesday afternoon, around 5 p.m., a driver in a slowly moving car on the 1400 block of West Taylor Street fired a paintball rifle at pedestrians walking along the street. Witness Jason Weedon, 52, was struck in the chest and the back of his neck, and two other men, ages 21 and 26, along with a 31‑year‑old woman, were also hit.
Weedon described the shooter as a dark‑haired man who was “grinning inanely, like the Joker without makeup.” He said at least a dozen people were hit, though most left the scene before police arrived. The driver fled north onto Loomis Street, according to a witness.
Police Investigation
Chicago police confirmed that two people inside the vehicle fired paintballs toward pedestrians. All victims declined medical attention. Detectives are currently investigating, and no arrests have been made.
The incident follows two similar paintball attacks earlier this week. On Monday, a UIC employee and a student were struck by paintballs near 1350 S. Halsted Street; both declined medical care. An earlier October 28 incident in Lakeview also involved a paintball shooting, injuring a 74‑year‑old driver.
Public Safety Concerns
Paintball projectiles can cause serious injuries, especially to the eyes. A 2024 Halloween incident in Garfield Ridge resulted in a 19‑year‑old woman suffering a ruptured eyeball. University of Chicago Medicine researchers found that among 20 patients treated for eye injuries from drive‑by paintball shootings between 2020 and 2021, six required surgery and five lost all light perception in the injured eye.
Weedon expressed concern that the ease of targeting pedestrians with a paintball gun raises questions about how quickly a similar attack could be carried out with a real firearm.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
