San Angelo Teens Arrested After BB Gun Shooting Spree

A rash of shots fired calls have come into San Angelo’s emergency dispatch this week, resulting in over $1,500 in property damage and landing at least three teens behind bars.

The calls began at the onset of Spring Break, when multiple cars in the Lowe’s and Walmart parking lots were shot up with BB guns, causing damage to the vehicles and breaking windows.

At 11:22 a.m. on Sunday, March 15, multiple calls began streaming in about the damage, and by 12:12 p.m. dispatch received a report of a suspicious vehicle in the 4200 block of Southwest Blvd.

Officers responding to the call located a 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo occupied by 19-year-old Johnathan Wayne and 18-year-old Wiliam White, who had BB guns in their possession. Both boys were arrested and booked into the county jail on criminal mischief greater than or equal to $1,500 and less than $20,000 charges, a state jail felony. Eleven cars were reported damaged in the BB gun shooting spree.

Two days later, on March 17, officers on the east side of town responded to yet another shots fired call around 2 p.m., when an unidentified juvenile in the 600 block of Preusser fired his BB gun at a car parked across the street and broke the driver’s side window.

Officer Abel Nandin explained that no one was injured in the incident, but the teenage boy was taken to the Juvenile Justice Center and booked on a class B misdemeanor for criminal mischief.

A third incident was reported on Thursday night on Warrior Ave., when the window of a home near the lake was hit with a BB. Sgt. Cade Solsbery explained that there was no suspect information provided at the time of the report, but once again, the BB caused damage.

With three incidents involving BB guns reported in the space of a week, Solsbery said, “we don’t see it all the time, but usually when it starts happening we do receive several calls in reference to damage done by BB guns, usually over the course of several days until we’re able to catch the kids…”

Firing BB guns is within city limits is prohibited by city ordinance, even in one’s own backyard.

The offense one is charged with depends on the damage, and may range from a misdemeanor criminal mischief charge up to a felony. Likewise, Solsbery added, if someone fires a BB at someone else, a range of charges are possible depending on injury.

“If the injury is severe enough—like if they put somebody’s eye out—it could be aggravated assault because of the serious bodily injury,” he said as example. “As far just shooting somebody with a BB gun, [it’s] class A or class C assault, just depending on injury.”

Most of the time, Solsbery said, juveniles and young adults are the ones using BB guns in a manner they consider fun, even if it does cause property damage and is considered illegal.

“I can’t say if those that are doing drive-by shootings ever went out and used BB guns to cause property damage,” Solsbery said. “If parents are going to be buying kids BB guns, then they should be treating that as any other gun. They need to be properly taught how to use it, when they can use it, when they can’t.”