A 21-year-old man was shot multiple times with a gel blaster gun while walking near the junction of Manor Road and Brassington Avenue in Sutton Coldfield, just metres away from a busy town centre roundabout, on Monday, June 8.
The victim was heading towards the Bottle of Sack pub at around 12:50 pm when a white Renault Kangoo travelling in the opposite direction pulled up. The front seat passenger fired four or five gel ball shots at the pedestrian, one narrowly missing his eye and striking the bone around his eye socket instead. Other shots hit his face.
Gel blaster guns are popular leisure items designed to shoot soft gel balls that require protective eyewear, but can still cause serious discomfort or injury if aimed at the face.
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The victim’s partner described the harrowing moment: “The van was coming off the roundabout towards Brassington Avenue. Someone inside used a gel blaster to shoot at him. He was scared and texted me immediately. Fortunately, the shot hit his eye socket, not the eye itself. The gel balls are solid rubber and translucent – they don’t explode on impact but can still hurt.”
After the attack, the van sped off down Brassington Avenue. The partner managed to capture photos of the vehicle and reported them to the police. She added that the shooter appeared to be a chubby man in his mid to late 20s, possibly of mixed race, sitting in the front passenger seat.
The incident has sparked concern after similar attacks were reported in the area on social media, though some corresponding posts have since been deleted.
West Midlands Police confirmed they received a report regarding the incident and have spoken to the victim, who sustained no injuries. They are appealing for anyone who witnessed the event to come forward via their website Live Chat or by calling 101, quoting crime reference number 20/282330/26.