Powerful BB Gun Used in Random S.D. Shootings

Three people were wounded, one seriously, early Friday when assailants--at least one armed with a high-powered BB gun--went on a random 45-minute shooting spree in East San Diego, police reported.

The same gunmen, who apparently were responsible for four separate attacks, shot at their victims for an unknown reason, Lt. Connie van Putten said. Police had no suspects in custody by late Friday.

One of the shooting victims, Anthony Smihula, 35, was listed in good condition at Mercy Hospital. The other two were treated for minor wounds and released, Van Putten said.

Later Friday, another string of shootings that police said appeared to involve a high-powered pellet gun occurred along a five-mile stretch of Interstate 805. Police received reports of seven separate incidents between about 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in which motorists said a car pulled up next to them and, as they sped along the freeway, the occupants opened fire.

In each case, the motorists reported that their side windows were shattered, but they managed to avoid a traffic accident.

Only one person reported injuries from the flying glass, according to Lt. Bill Skinner. The unidentified motorist was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment of the wounds, which were described by police as minor.

Although police said the car used in the evening shootings was different than the vehicle used by the gunmen earlier in the day, they speculated that the various incidents might be related.

The first shooting occurred at 5:45 a.m. when several men in a stolen Toyota Celica rammed a car at Aldine Drive and Fairmount Avenue, police said. They opened fire on the other vehicle, shattering the back window and then the windshield.

The driver of the damaged car flagged down a passing motorist, but the assailants pursued the car, attempting to force it off the road before the two escaped unharmed.

About 15 minutes later, two men in a Toyota Celica stopped Smihula near Euclid Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard and asked for directions. When Smihula turned and walked away, the gunmen shot him once in the chest, and a BB remained lodged in his chest.

Minutes later, the assailants fired at two women walking in the 4800 block of El Cajon Boulevard. Shirley Williams, 28, of San Diego, was struck in the arm.

The two women jumped into a passing taxi and were pursued by the attackers, who opened fire on the car, shattering a side window. But the cab escaped without further incident. Williams was treated at Alvarado Community Hospital.

The final early-morning attack occurred in the 5000 block of El Cajon Boulevard, where a man sitting in his car was approached by two armed men and was shot in the leg. His wound was superficial and the victim did not require medical treatment.

Police investigating the shootings said they were baffled by the potency of the gun.

“It’s doing an unusual amount of damage,” Van Putten said. “The officer investigating the shooting said he’s never seen a pellet shatter windshields or penetrate the flesh.”

Police said the second series of shootings along Interstate 805 involved a red Nissan sports car with three men inside.

The shootings occurred between Imperial Avenue and Interstate 8. In most cases, the victims hurried home to report the incidents, according to Skinner.

San Diego police and the California Highway Patrol increased patrols along the freeway in hopes of snagging the assailants.