Paintball Narrowly Misses Juniata Child's Eye
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A 10-year-old boy is now recovering from a drive-by style paintball attack that nearly blinded him. It happened Wednesday night just outside the 7-11 on K and Luzerne in the city's Juniata section.
"I was super scared," said victim Jaydeen Deleon.
Jaydeen says he wanted chips so he, his older brother and father went to the store. When they walked out, police say a masked attacker in the rear passenger side of dark-colored vehicle- possibly a Honda- shot the paintball gun. Jaydeen says the paintballs were frozen.
"It feels like someone threw a rock at my face really hard," Jaydeen told Eyewitness News.
"We started running, I thought none of us had gotten hit until I seen Jaydeen's eye and then there was some paint running down his face and I thought it was blood, it was terrifying," said Jaydeen's older brother Jhoann Deleon.
Jaydeen was treated at St. Christopher's where he says doctors told him if he were hit any closer to his eye, the attack could have blinded him.
Philadelphia Police Lt. John Stanford said the person responsible likely faces aggravated assault charges among other things, adding "this is very dangerous and not a game at all."
