Teenagers accused firing BB gun at Florida restaurants
VIERA, Fla. - Windows were shattered at a restaurant in Viera after being shot at with BB guns, according to the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, in the latest incident of crimes involving non-traditional firearms in recent weeks.
Cracks were visible on the glass door where deputies say Airsoft pellets struck. The owner expressed relief that the hurricane-proof glass prevented the pellets from penetrating the door.
"It’s sad. We are all working so hard, and they’re coming and destroying it," the owner told us.
The damage to the glass door was evident at both Teriyaki Madness and First Watch, where deputies reported that teenagers shot at the establishments.
Surveillance video captured four teenagers with an air rifle in the Viera shopping plaza parking lot earlier this month, surprising local businesses.
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Chris Mandoudis of Re-Live, a clinic and wellness center situated between the two targeted businesses, noted that while their clinic was not shot at, the incident was frustrating for their neighbors.
"It’s pretty obnoxious because we’re trying to provide the community with services, and to get vandalized like that without provocation is a little upsetting," Mandoudis said.
This is not the first such incident reported by FOX 35 News. Last month, in Orange County, a woman reported that teenagers used Orbeez guns to shoot at her car in Baldwin Park while she and her family were inside. An Orbeez gun, similar to a BB gun, shoots water beads. Just last week in Volusia County, police reported that kids shot Orbeez guns at cars in an apartment complex.
Daytona Beach police reminded teens that officers have zero tolerance for the misuse of these guns, emphasizing that shooting people with them is considered battery.
Mandoudis hopes that teenagers realize the seriousness and potential danger of their actions. "Regardless if it is a BB gun or Airsoft gun, if it looks like a gun and you’re out in public with it, a police officer could assume that it’s a firearm and you’re going to do damage or harm to someone and stop that threat. It’s dangerous for that person too, going out in public, brandishing, even if it’s a BB gun," he said.
