Man Accused Of Firing Paintballs At Stockton Gay Nightclub Patrons Arrested

STOCKTON (CBS13) — Stockton Police have arrested a suspect in the paintball shooting of a gay nightclub on the same night as the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Brandon Staples, 19, was arrested for the June 12 attack police are calling a hate crime.

Officers were following up on a separate incident involving threats directed at St. Mary's High School staff through social media on June 7 when they came across Staples. He was detained in Lodi.

The paintball gun police say was used in the incident. (Credit: Stockton Police Department)

Investigators recovered the paintball gun they say was used in the shooting.

Staples is accused of firing paintballs at people leaving an LGBT nightclub at around 1:45 a.m. on June 12. A 26-year-old woman told deputies she was hit in the arm by two paint balls. A 27-year-old man told deputies he was shot in the back by a paintball.

The shooting happened the same night that 49 people were killed in an Orlando gay nightclub, but police say the incidents are unrelated.