Brooklyn, NY – Williamsburg Community On Edge After Several Paintball Incident

Brooklyn, NY – Williamsburg residents are on edge after yet another paintball attack which targeted members of the Chasidic community, this one taking place last Friday night.

Police said that two Chasidic teens were walking with their grandfather at Morton Street and Juliana Place at approximately 9:50 PM Friday night when they were struck by paintballs. The 13 year old victim was struck in the left foot and the 16 year old was hit in both his thigh and arm. The 65 year old man accompanying the pair was not hit in the attack.

Police, who were notified of that incident after Shabbos, say they are considering the attack as a bias attack because all three individuals were dressed in traditional Chasidic garb. An NYPD spokesperson told VIN News that they currently have no information regarding the number of attackers or whether anything was said to the victims.

Police confirmed that the info might be related to another incident that took place just days ago. DNAInfo.com reported that a 30 year old Chasidic man was injured after being shot with a paintball gun on Sunday March 22nd as he was walking near Hewes Street and Kent Avenue between 9 and 11 PM.

With schools no longer in session and many children out playing in the streets, residents are concerned for their own safety and that of their families, according to Rabbi David Niederman, head of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg.

“It is very clear that only Jews were targeted,” Rabbi Niederman told VIN News. “The fact that they didn’t say the first word and then ‘Jew’ doesn’t mean anything. It is clear, clear that this is a hate crime.”

Rabbi Niederman said that police may be looking at individuals who live in or near the Clemente housing projects.

“The faster they apprehend someone, the faster they will send a crucial message to the youth that this is not tolerated and people will feel much safer,” said Rabbi Niederman.