‘Pint-sized sharpshooters’ damaging Kansas homes, cars with BB guns

TONGANOXIE, Kan. — “Pint-sized sharpshooters” are causing damage in Tonganoxie neighborhoods. Tonganoxie Police believe kids ages 12 to 14 are taking aim with BB guns at homes and cars.

One resident pointed out two nearby windows, saying they were recently shot at, leaving one shattered.

“This scares me,” Judy Berry, who lives in Tonganoxie, said.

“Stop, there’s no reason to be terrorizing other people. It’s not that fun,” neighbor Olivia Hopper said.

Police believe a couple groups of kids are shooting BB guns in neighborhoods near the downtown area of Tonganoxie.

Most of the damage is near Washington and Delaware St., according to police.

“We know it’s not the crime of the century, but windows cost money,” Dep. Chief Bobby Knowles said.

“And times are tough for people right now and this is a hard-working community. These people work hard for their money. We want to maintain a good quality of life here in Tonganoxie.”

Knowles said they’ve received five to seven reports of garage windows, houses and car windows being shot at.

Knowles said not only are these BB gun shooters racking up dollars in property damages, but he said it’s also dangerous.

“Risk getting hit by the BB, shards of glass hitting a family member, God forbid a child,” Knowles said.

“Not to mention different times of the night, having to repair the window, tape it up, put up a board, with inclement weather. We’ve had a lot of rain and storms lately. So, it causes quite a pain for quite a bit of folks.”

Neighbors agree and want the people taking aim to stop.

“It’s definitely unsafe and annoying,” Hopper said.

“I have pets, and I know that if my pets would’ve been around, I definitely would’ve been scared or maybe hit by one. My cats like to sit in my windows. So, like, it could possibly be really dangerous.”

“My dogs could get hit in the eyes,” Berry said.

“They could get hit, we could get hit.”

People who live here said this is generally a quiet neighborhood.

Knowles said detectives are sifting through video, they believe the BB gun shooters are walking around on foot.

Knowles has a message for the kids behind the BB guns.

“One, to stop,” Knowles said.

“Two, come to talk to us. We’ll talk with the homeowners and then we’ll go from there.”

Knowles said officers have also increased patrols in the impacted areas.

Police said they want to “address this issue to prevent further property damage.”

Police ask anyone, near Pleasant and Washington St., who has seen a juvenile shooting or carrying a BB gun to call the police station at 913-369-3754.

“All TIPS will remain anonymous,” police said.

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