A Windsor, Ont., teenager is recovering after being shot seven times with a BB gun in an east-end park, one of three victims targeted in what police describe as an ongoing investigation. Hunter Hayes, 14, was rollerblading with friends near the Ford Test Track on the evening of Oct. 30 when two masked individuals approached on an electric scooter and began firing, according to the teenager. “We were just over there, past the gazebo, the pavilion, and we were just hanging out,” Hunter said in an interview with CTV News. He recalled hearing shots before realizing he had been hit multiple times. “One right here. And then one in my hand. You know, my forearm, you know, like multiple shots all over the place,” he said. Hunter said his first instinct was to duck down and protect his vital organs. He suffered several injuries, including to his head, arm, hand and leg. Most of the pellets were removed the following day, but one remained deeply embedded in his hand. His mother, Denise Hayes, said Hunter called her shortly after the shooting and told her to unlock the front door without asking questions. She went outside to wait for him but initially didn’t see him. “All of a sudden I saw him rollerblading up and he had, like, blood dripping down his neck, blood dripping off of his hand,” she said. Denise said she didn’t initially realize her son had been shot. She began trying to control the bleeding and took photographs of his injuries for police before officers arrived. Hunter underwent another procedure last Wednesday to have the remaining BB removed from his hand. He said the experience hasn’t stopped him from returning to the park. “I came here just yesterday. Before I went to work,” Hunter said. While Hunter says he hasn’t been particularly shaken by the experience, his mother said the potential consequences are frightening. “For me, knowing what those things can do, like, it scared the crap out of me,” Denise exclaimed. “Hunter got lucky. It didn’t hit anything vital. But it could have.” Windsor police say officers responded to multiple reports of people being shot with a BB gun in the Ford City neighbourhood on Oct. 30. Through their investigation, officers learned that two youths riding an e-scooter allegedly fired a BB gun at three victims, including two 14-year-olds and a 16-year-old. Police say the victims suffered several non-life-threatening injuries. Denise said she is aware of other teenagers who were injured in the area that evening, including one who was struck in the face and required surgery to remove a pellet. The family says they still don’t know whether the victims were targeted or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. They hope anyone who may have witnessed the incident or captured footage of the suspects on a security camera will come forward. Denise said the two individuals were wearing face coverings, with one reportedly wearing a ski mask and the other a helmet. They left the area on an electric scooter. “I want these kids to know, like, this isn’t a joke. These things can kill,” she said. “I don’t think that they understand the implications of their actions and what can actually happen.” The City of Windsor has bylaws restricting the discharge of BB guns and air guns within city limits. Under By-law 2481, discharging firearms, including air guns, is prohibited except in certain authorized circumstances. The city’s Parks By-law also prohibits possessing or using weapons, including air guns, in municipal parks without a permit. Police say possessing certain BB guns and air guns is not inherently illegal, but using them in a dangerous or threatening manner can result in criminal charges. Depending on the circumstances, potential charges could include assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm or possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. The investigation remains ongoing.
