Man could lose sight in one eye after 'random' paintball gun attack in Walsall
A man might lose his sight in one eye after being shot with a paintbull gun in what police believe was a random attack.
The man, aged in his 40s, was hit in the body and face on Wednesbury Road in the Pleck area of Walsall.
Repeated shots were fired at the man on Saturday evening, police said, and he may now lose the sight in one eye.
The shots were fired from a dark-coloured vehicle which is understood to have been travelling along Wednesbury Road in Pleck between around 8.30pm and 9.30pm.
The victim was hit near the junction of Bescot Crescent around 9.15pm and is still in hospital six days on.
Slightly earlier in the evening, a woman in her 30s was also hit by pellets but was not seriously hurt.
So far nobody has been arrested and police are now appealing for people with dash-cam footage to come forward.
It is the latest in a series of violent incidents in the area since the start of the year.
Two of the most serious incidents happened within days of each other in January.
In one, shots were fired at a business in a drive-by attack in Wednesbury Road, Caldmore, while children were walking home from school.
Then in Croft Street, Birchills, a 38-year-old man was left needing surgery after being set upon and stabbed. Eighteen-year-old Shafiq Ur Rehman has since been charged with wounding in relation to this attack.
Police searched 60 people after being granted extra Section 60 stop and search powers in an attempt to clamp down on the violence.
A spokesperson for Walsall Police said: "These are being treated as random attacks and, although we've carried out enquiries in the area, we really need to hear from anyone who was driving through Pleck on Saturday night.
"The only description of the vehicle at this stage is it was small - and dark coloured - and any info would really assist our enquiries. We're particularly keen to obtain any dash-cam footage.
"Please contact us via Live Chat on our website or by calling 101. Quote 20/281977/22."
