No one harmed
Two teens in Palm Coast, Florida were shot at over the weekend while playing Pokemon Go. At around 1:30AM on Saturday night two teens aged 16 and 19 stopped in their car in front of a house to catch some pocket monsters. According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, via The Daytona Beach News-Journal, the homeowner heard a loud noise, which he went to investigate armed with a handgun.
He heard something like, “did you get anything?” from the car, at which point he stood in front of it, pointed a gun at the driver and passenger, and commanded them not to move. But move the frightened teens did, accelerating forward (towards him), sending him to the sidewalk, from where he apparently shot at the car “several times” before calling the police.
Neither teen got shot, but the 19-year-old’s mom found bullet holes in the car and a flat tire. She notified police the morning after the shooting, when her son told her what happened. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, but in the meantime, it has offered some Pokemon Go safety tips that might help you on your excursions.
- Call 911 immediately when you suspect someone is trying to break into your home.
- If at all possible, be an excellent witness for law enforcement by providing valuable information on what is occurring.
- Avoid leaving the protection of your home to confront suspects. This should be handled by trained law enforcement officers.
- Pokemon Go players should use common sense, be alert at all times and stay aware of your surroundings. In law enforcement, we call this situational awareness.
- Watch where you are going.
- Do not drive or ride your bike, skateboard, or other device while interacting with the Pokémon Go app. You cannot do both safely at the same time.
- Do not trespass, go onto private property or into any area you usually would not if you weren’t playing Pokémon Go.
- Understand that people can use your location to lure you to “Pokéstops” so they can victimize you.
- Take a friend with you.
- If you are a minor, check with a parent before going anywhere and tell an adult or law enforcement officer immediately if anything happens.
- Talk to your kids about strangers and set limits on where your kids can go.
- Be aware of third-party software apps claiming to enhance the gaming experience. Unfortunately, many of these apps allow access to sensitive personal data.
Pokemon Go players shot at in Palm Coast [The Dayton Beach News-Journal]
