Crime & Safety

Pedestrians Hit With Paintballs in Downers Grove: Police Blotter

A couple of people reported being hit by paintballs in the southern part of the village, according to police.

If you walk around in the south part of Downers Grove, keep an eye out for yellow paintballs headed your way.

Police received three reports over Sept. 23 and 24 of someone firing paintballs at pedestrians from a black vehicle at locations within a couple miles of each other. During the first two incidents, a pedestrian was hit a yellow paintball, according to a police report. The third incident might have involved a BB or paintball gun.

The jogger (gender not specified) from the first incident and the female from the second incident each said the paintballs were being shot from a black Ford Mustang. The first incident occurred at about 6 p.m. Sept. 23 in the area of 75th Street and Fairview Avenue, the report said. The second incident occurred at 6:42 p.m. Sept. 24 in the area of 67th and Main streets. Police did not find the car after a search of the area following the second incident.

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The pedestrians from the first two incidents declined to file reports, but they wanted to make the police aware of what happened. The female in the third and most recent incident, however, did wish to sign a complaint should a shooter be identified.

Close Call

The female in the latest incident was walking her dog at 7:26 p.m. Sept. 24 near Powell Street and Dunham Road when a black car approached.

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The car was traveling southbound on Dunham Road and was moving around the curve in that area. The female saw that the front-seat passenger was leaning out the window with a black firearm, possibly a BB or paintball gun.

The female heard four shots as the vehicle passed by her and the dog. They were not hit, and the car continued east, then southbound on Dunham Road.

The front-seat passenger was described as: 

  • Male 
  • 15-20 years old
  • Dark hair 
  • Medium to large build

While at the scene, police were told of a yet another incident a few weeks back in the same area. There were four people in a black vehicle that slowed down and yelled at a male juvenile walking on the sidewalk at Dunham and Powell, the report said. The vehicle then turned southbound on Powell and east on Klein Avenue.

The latest shooting incident was categorized as "malicious mischief" in the police report.

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Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.


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