Cape Coral police investigating after someone is shot with Orbeez gun on Del Prado Blvd

Reporter: Samantha Johns Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Del Prado Blvd.
Del Prado Boulevard, near where someone was shot with an Orbeez gun. (Credit: WINK News)

Cape Coral police are investigating after someone is shot with an Orbeez gun on Del Prado Boulevard on Monday night.

The victim was shot in the hip, and the Cape Coral Police Department is investigating it as a battery.

Orbeez guns are sold to kids at stores like Walmart and Target, but they can be dangerous if someone gets hit in a vulnerable area like in an eye.

In this case, the victim did not suffer a serious injury, but that’s not stopping some people in Cape Coral from questioning how safe it is to be here.

Del Prado Boulevard is one of Cape Coral’s busiest streets. On most days, traffic flows quickly, but on Monday night, that wasn’t the case when police say the driver of a BMW slowed down and shot someone walking near the road with an Orbeez gun.

“It’s scary. One of the reasons I came down to Cape Coral is it is a safe place,” said Victor Dahl.

An Orbeez gun is considered a toy that fires gel pellets or specially made balls rather than water or paintballs.

Cape Coral police say the victim heard the suspect pull the trigger and got hit on the rear end. They say the shooting happened just feet away from Damon DeMichele’s Heart and Soul Cafe business.

“Being a new owner, new store owner does make me concerned about, you know, the people that are going to be coming in to eat and stuff,” said DeMichele.

DeMichele’s Heart and Soul Cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch, but DeMichele plans to keep it open for dinner. Now, he’s reconsidering.

“I don’t know if it’s going to shift the opinion. But we’ll definitely be looking out for it now,” said DeMichele.

The prevailing opinion from most people is they’re more worried about getting hit by a car than an Orbeez gun.

“If it was a toy gun, it probably was kids. Kids don’t realize the impact of their actions. Cape Coral is a good safe place, and no place is perfect stuff happens everywhere,” Dahl said.

The officers working the case do not have a suspect in the shooting. If you have any information, you are asked to call Cape Coral police at (239) 574-3223.

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