Watch CBS News

Authorities Seek Suspect In Bird Shot Firings Across Carson

CARSON (CBS) — Someone has been firing blasts of bird shot from a shotgun, injuring one person and striking four vehicles in Carson over the last two weeks, authorities reported Saturday.

The bird shot, which is small metal "bb" pellets fired in a spray pattern, is believed responsible for shattering car windows on the Harbor (110) Freeway and vehicles on other streets in the South Bay. Deputies said those attacks may be part of a pattern that started on April 18 with the shooting of a pedestrian, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies.

"The common factor in the shootings appears to be the use of a shotgun (bird shot) by the suspect," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department stated in a news release.

The first shooting attack occurred about 2:15 a.m. April 18 on Main Street near 213th Street in Carson. A woman there was shot in her arm while walking down the street.

Last Monday, bird shot struck a woman's vehicle at about 8:30 p.m. Monday while she was driving south on Normandie Avenue, near Torrance Boulevard.

The third shooting, which is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol, occurred at about 8 p.m. Tuesday on the 110 Freeway, near the Carson Street exit.

Two other shootings occurred Thursday. The first was about 2:30 p.m. on Figueroa Street near Lomita Boulevard where a vehicle driven by a man was struck by gunfire. About 15 minutes later, the CHP reported a shooting occurred on the 110
Freeway near Torrance Boulevard.

"There is no suspect description available at this time and information such as motive for these crimes is extremely limited," deputies said.

Bird shot is typically used to hunt birds. The projectiles can cause painful wounds that are rarely fatal.

But Sgt. Alise Norman told Cristy Fajardo, reporting for CBS2 and KCAL9 Saturday, that while fatalities are rare, law enforcement isn't taking any chances. "How dangerous is this person? Extremely. It could cause a fatality. So far it has not."

She added, "Imagine those bird shot pellets penetrating a brain or an eye or one of the vital organs."

Detectives at the sheriff's Carson station asked anyone with information regarding the shootings to call them at (310) 830-1123.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.