MgoBlaze

September 21st, 2021 at 1:24 PM ^

Really?

To me it's pretty clear that bludgeoning a person with a piece of aluminum is far more likely to cause life-threatening injuries than shooting them with a paintball.

Neither are "fine," but worst case scenario with getting shot with a paintball gun is... what, losing an eye? A direct hit to the testicle? Worst case scenario with getting beaten with a paintball gun is death by repeated blunt force trauma.

MgoBlaze

September 22nd, 2021 at 5:51 AM ^

What an impressively stupid take. Work on your reading comprehension, pumpkin. You're not on a Sparty message board.

I very clearly said that neither are "nice." I'm not advocating for either to happen. But one is substantially more harmful than the other. I'm sorry that you're not intelligent enough to see that. 

There's this thing called google that you can use to find out information, like the number of paintball-related deaths vs. the number of ones from blunt force trauma. People die every day from getting bludgeoned to death, and how many deaths have there been by paintball in the entire history of paintball guns existing? That's what I thought.

If you'd rather get beat to death with a paintball gun than get hit with one in the eye, go for it. Film it and put it on youtube so I can laugh at you. Show us how life-threatening little plastic balls filled with paint are, while how getting pistol-whipped or hit with the butt of a rifle really isn't such a big deal. Go on, do it.

Try reading what you're responding to and then using google to research your position next time, champ. Especially if you're going to be a dick about it.

Blue Texan

September 21st, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^

per local newspaper:


NJ Advance Media reported that the two players have been charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, stemming from an incident Monday night.

Carpetbagger

September 21st, 2021 at 11:39 AM ^

That doesn't really tell us anything though. I'm pretty sure you can be charged for sleeping in your own bed for some crime.

Paintball guns are really considered a "weapon"? I mean, getting hit by one is no joke, and if someone got injured by their being stupid, I've got no problem with them being charged with assault/battery. But weapon for unlawful purpose? OK.

lhglrkwg

September 21st, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^

There's a reason you wear a helmet when you're playing paintball - I'm sure you can easily blind someone if you hit them in the eye. Reading between the lines that it was an 'aggravated assault' and a paint ball gun was the weapon, I'm going to guess they shot someone or some people with a paintball gun who weren't exactly planning to be shot

Carpetbagger

September 21st, 2021 at 1:14 PM ^

I'm familiar with paintball, thanks! I'm also familiar enough with paintball guns that the "weapons" you use are no more lethal than any other tool. IE; put the wrong item in the wrong hands and anything is lethal.

Aggravated assault on the other hand implies a lot more than stupid young adults doing stupid teenager things.

No article I found has any relevant details of the actual crime. My assumption is they did something really stupid, shot at the wrong person/hit said person (getting hit by a paintball is of course no joke), or were doing something in a very malicious way: like shooting up an ex's place or something.

Either that or the guys acted stupid when the cops busted them. Act like a fricking saint if the cops bust you for anything, always. Doesn't everyone have a Dad/Uncle/Grandpa teach you that around 14-15 years old?

FlexUM

September 21st, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^

I think it depends on how it is used. This doesn't read to me like some pals who all got suited up for a fun game of paintball and someone took an accidental hit to the nuts. 

This reads to me like these two were up to some nefarious activities and were actively using the paintball guns as a weapon to threaten people or perform violence on them. 

An unloaded bb gun can be considered a "weapon" depending on the circumstance. 

UMgradMSUdad

September 21st, 2021 at 1:45 PM ^

Someone on a Rutgers forum just posted this:

Kenneth Cop, Rutgers University Police Department Chief, released the following statement:

"On Monday, September 20, 2021, at approximately 10:00 PM, the Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) responded to the area of Livingston Campus in the Township of Piscataway for the report of three student victims that were struck with paintballs discharged from a motor vehicle. The three victims sustained minor injuries and declined further medical attention on scene. An investigation completed by the RUPD resulted in the arrest of two male suspects on September 21, 2021.

Malachi M. Melton, a 19-year-old resident of Toms River, NJ, and Christopher M. Long, a 19-year-old resident of Willingboro, NJ, have been charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. Both were released on their own recognizance with summonses to appear in Middlesex County Superior Court on November 4, 2021, at 8:45 AM."

WestQuad

September 21st, 2021 at 1:54 PM ^

I've only played paintball 7-8 times, but at every course they tell you to wear your helmet/facemask because a paintball to the eye can kill you.   They might have been exagerating to get you to wear the mask, but those things can and do hurt on bear skin, so I imagine there is a scenario where death can occur. (This article points out heart attacks and strokes.)    

Also on a paintball field you're usually 20-30 yards away.  If it is a drive by and you shoot someone from a few feet that's got to hurt.

Carpetbagger

September 21st, 2021 at 3:27 PM ^

I prefer urban terrain/country hick paintball but I would think 20-30 feet is pretty normal shooting distance. It fecking stings.

I don't know if you can actually die from getting shot in the eye with a paintball, but people have died from odder things. I know I hate the Halo hat. I know I'm going to wear it too.

 

UMinSF

September 21st, 2021 at 3:17 PM ^

This is a pretty simple thing - you CANNOT shoot people from a car.

Paintball gun, BB gun, staple gun, assault rifle - of course it's a crime to shoot someone with a gun. 

Sure, it's probably just dumb kids doing dumb stuff. So what? Dumb stuff - especially firing a weapon at someone - has, and deserves, consequences. Honestly, I've heard of people being expelled from school for less.

UMgradMSUdad

September 21st, 2021 at 4:23 PM ^

I'm not sure who Kratch is, but here is more information posted in a thread on the Knight Report:

 

from an article by Kratch. Seems there were actual injuries AND the vehicle was moving

"One victim was hit in the right elbow at close range, according to probable cause affidavits obtained by NJ Advance Media. Another victim was hit in the left arm and lower back and the third was hit in the lower abdomen, all at close range. The first and third victims suffered bleeding as a result of the incident, according to the affidavits, while the second victim had bruising and welts.

The players were in a moving vehicle when they shot the victims, according to the affidavits".

 

oriental andrew

September 21st, 2021 at 5:06 PM ^

Thanks to Key and Peele, I can no longer read "Malachi" without pronouncing it "muh-LAH-chee" b/c I'm 100% sure that's exactly how substitute teacher, Mr. Garvey, would pronounce it. 

FlexUM

September 22nd, 2021 at 7:37 AM ^

So they were basically doing a "drive by paintball-ing"? I have a feeling they are going to get in some trouble for that. If you creep out of a car window and start spraying people with paintballs you are going to get in some trouble.