Detroit police issue warnings about paintball shootings around city

DETROIT (WJBK) - Police are investigating and sending out warnings after multiple paintball shootings were reported around the city Wednesday night. 

Reports emerged on social media throughout the day showing a trail of cars, property and people that had been sprayed with paintballs. We're told it appears to be part of an organized campaign to stop violence and get people to put down their real guns but, sadly, it's sending the wrong message. It's scaring those it's meant to inspire. 

Tiffany Brockington's father had a paintball gun pointed right at him. She tweeted about it that night and then talked to us on Thursday.

"This is how folks end up dead-joking around. A child just pulled their paintball rifle on my Father. The very worst could have happened," her tweet read. 

"He's fine but his main thing was, that's not smart. It's not smart," she later told FOX 2. 

"People may see these incidents occurring and they don't know that these are paintball guns because a lot of them look like assault rifles, AR-15-type rifles. You need to do this in an area made for paintball wars or paintball fighting," warns Capt. Darrell Patterson from the department's seventh precinct. 

Leila Johnson was by Alica Gorham Park on the city's west side Wednesday when the paintball guns came out. 

"Even the kids out here playing basketball were ducking. They were all ducking; everyone was ducking for fear of getting shot," she says. 

Even a DPD member fell victim. 

On McCelland Street, a Detroit police captain said he happened upon a scene of about 50 people in bright-colored outfits firing paintball guns at each other. His car was hit nearly a dozen times. 

A FOX 2 viewer also sent us pictures of what his car looked like after someone used it for target practice while on the Southfield Freeway between Six and Seven Mile Roads. 

No injuries have been reported. 

At least, about six people have been arrested for disorderly conduct, as well as assault. More arrests could follow. Someone could also be facing a destruction of city property charge if the paint can't come out of the Detroit police car that was hit.