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Police: Mark Shell Fired Shotgun At Teens Who Threw Water Balloons At His Pickup Truck In Ridgecrest

RIDGECREST (CBSLA) — Police say a Ridgecrest man faces several charges including attempted murder after opening fire on two teenage boys who threw water balloons at his truck.

ridgecrest water balloon shooting
(credit: Ridgecrest Police Department)

Mark Shell, 63, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of attempted murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, assault with a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He is being held on $1.2 million bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Tuesday, according to Kern County sheriff's jail records.

Ridgecrest Regional Hospital officials called police Saturday night because they were treating two teenage shooting victims – an 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy. Ridgecrest police say the teens had been driving around in a pick-up truck with water balloons when they came upon Shell, who was asleep in his own truck on the side of the road near McClean Street and East Ward Avenue.

The teens threw water balloons at Shell's truck, and as he was inspecting it for damage, he saw the teens had turned around and were coming back. So Shell got a 12-gauge shotgun from his truck and fired at the driver's door, causing damage to the truck and minor injuries to the driver, according to police.

Shell drove away from the area in his truck and was later found in the desert in the area of West Bowman Avenue and Highway 395, police said. He was taken into custody without further incident and police say they recovered shotgun from his truck.

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