BEREA, Ohio — Berea teens Luky Furth and Brandon Calo said they learned an important lesson about the potential hazards surrounding weapons after the 14-year-olds were shot with airsoft pellets while riding their bicycles at Coe Lake Park on Aug. 23.
Berea Police said the incident took place just after 4 p.m., with the shots fired from a 2005 or older black Jeep Cherokee. Police said a second airsoft gun attack was reported minutes later involving what was likely the same SUV in the area of W. Bagley Road near Bridge Street.
Fortunately no one was seriously injured in the airsoft gun attacks, but Furth said the incident left them stunned and shook-up.
"I was super angry, I wanted to get these guys. I don’t know what I wanted to do, but I just wanted to catch them," Furth said. “We weren’t expecting that to happen when we were biking by the lake, where basically we’ve spent most of our childhoods. It has taught me how quickly life can be taken away. How serious gun problems can be for people who are not responsible enough.”
Calo also had a message for his attackers.
“My first reaction when I got shot, I was surprised, I didn’t know what happened," Calo said “I don’t understand why you’re doing it, I don’t know what’s going on in your life that you have to be doing this.”
Heather Furth said she's relieved her son didn't sustain injuries, but is concerned the airsoft gun attackers could strike again.
“Well it’s shocking because they just went out for a bike ride and they’ve done it all summer long and have had no problems," Heather said. “Nobody should be going out and just shooting people who are out just enjoying the day. There’s a playground out here, there’s plenty of people walking around, I mean if they hit a little kid, it could have been so much worse.”
Berea Police are asking anyone with information about the airsoft gun attacks to come forward and said if caught the attackers could face charges of harassment and assault.
Meanwhile, Luky Furth is hoping the people who shot him with airsoft pellets will start to make the right choices.
“My message is you’re not making anyone laugh except for yourselves for five seconds, you’re going to get in trouble,” Furth said. “It’s humiliating in the fact that we were just attacked and there’s nothing we could do about it.”
