An alleged drive-by paintball shooting on a country road near Wanaka yesterday has landed a group of secondary school pupils in trouble.
A youth was shot in the face by a paintball pellet fired through the open window of a parked car at Glendhu Bay.
He was not hurt.
Wanaka police are investigating whether the group of 16-year-olds will face charges for breaches of the Misuse of Firearms Act.
Constable Mike Johnstone said the carload of seven boys had fired several shots at a parked car belonging to one of their friends.
The group had made three passes in their 4WD vehicle to pepper the parked car with paintball pellets. Police arrived at the scene shortly after and seized a paintball gun. Several individuals would be dealt with by Youth Aid in relation to potential Arms Act 1983 breaches.
Two of the 16-year-olds who had been behind the wheel faced charges relating to the breach of their driving licence conditions, Const Johnstone said.
The year 11 pupils were from Mount Aspiring College and had sat the first of their NCEA end-of-year exams, yesterday.
Earlier, about 12.30pm, Otago Daily Times journalist Matthew Haggart was struck by a paintball thrown at him from a vehicle while he was cycling along Mt Aspiring Rd from Glendhu Bay.
Police were notified and had subsequently discovered the carload of youths had travelled out to Glendhu Bay, shot up their mate's car, and hit one of the occupants in the face.
Const Johnstone said youths between the ages of 16 and 18 needed a firearms licence to carry airguns, such as BB rifles, or paintball weapons.
It was an offence to point, present, or fire airguns at people.
