SOUTHLAND : Sniper Scare Shuts 10 Freeway
At least half a dozen cars were hit with projectiles apparently fired from a high-powered slingshot along Interstate 10, prompting officials to shut down all lanes while a SWAT team unsuccessfully searched for the attacker, authorities said today.
Six motorists reported windows shattered by projectiles, including one woman whose baby was in the back seat when a side window shattered, showering the back of her van with broken glass, Beaumont police Sgt. Mitch White said. The infant was not hurt.
Police began getting calls from frantic motorists about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, he said. They reported they had been shot at while on the westbound freeway near the Pomona Freeway interchange.
The California Highway Patrol closed the freeway in both directions about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday.
Police said at least some of the projectiles were handgun bullets, but they said they may have been hurled by a powerful slingshot rather than fired from a gun.
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