Police Searching for Serial Gumball Sniper in California After Multiple People Hit With Projectiles

Police in California are searching for a serial gumball sniper after multiple people reported being struck with projectiles within a few blocks of each other.

The Ventura Police Department is asking anyone who may have been a victim of the "serial projectile sniper" in the area of Thompson Boulevard and Chrisman Avenue in Ventura to report incidents to their 24/7 non-emergency line at 805-650-8010.

"We've seen a handful of news articles this past week sharing that several people have been hit by a 'serial projectile sniper' within blocks of each other off Thompson Blvd.," police said in a statement on Facebook this week. "There has been one report of similar activity shared with our team this month."

One woman reported being shot in the neck by what appeared to be a gumball on July 7. She took a photo of the projectile before discarding it, and provided the image to police.

She shared her story on social media, prompting other victims to come forward. She now says there are at least 12 people who may have experienced similar shootings, based on responses to her social media post and local media reports.

"I felt a very hard, hot burning snap or pain on the right side of my neck," the woman, who did not give her name for safety reasons, told the Ventura County Star . "I immediately fell to the ground because it was so forceful and painful." She also took a photo of a large welt on her neck caused by the projectile.

Police Cmdr. Ryan Weeks told the outlet that the department is "actively investigating," but police do not yet know how the gumballs are being launched, or by whom.

"No one has seen anything, so we don't know if it's being shot out of some kind of a weapon," he said. Police said another woman was shot in a similar manner in the same neighborhood in July of last year.

Police are asking anyone with information to come forward or submit an anonymous tip.

—TMX contributed to this report.