"Tired of Only Shooting at Cans..." 40-Year-Old Man Shoots Steel Marbles with Slingshot at Apartment

A man in his 40s who caused damage to more than 30 places, including private homes, by shooting steel marbles with a slingshot while roaming high-rise apartment complexes in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province for over a year was caught by the police during a tracking investigation.

According to a Yonhap News report on the 10th, the Wonmi Police Station in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, announced that they had arrested a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, on charges of special property damage.

Mr. A is accused of firing steel marbles with a slingshot at 34 locations, including 30 private homes and 4 shared windows, within four apartment complexes in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, from July 2021 to September last year, causing window damage. The steel marbles used by Mr. A are known to be 7 to 8 mm in diameter.

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All the affected units were on the 20th floor or higher, and among them, 20 were neighboring homes within the same apartment complex where Mr. A resided. Most of the affected residents reportedly discovered cracks or small holes in their windows belatedly and then reported to the police.

The police conducted stakeouts near the scene from July 2021, when the first damage report was received, and installed closed-circuit television (CCTV). They also requested the National Forensic Service to conduct an analysis to estimate the firing points, narrowing down the suspect’s possible residences to about 1,000 units. After checking all purchase records of steel marbles, they were able to apprehend Mr. A.

During the police investigation, it was revealed that Mr. A roamed the rooftops of his apartment, nearby commercial buildings, and parks, shooting steel marbles at high-rise apartments. He stated, "At first, I shot slingshots at cans placed in secluded areas, but later got bored and started shooting steel marbles at high-rise apartments," adding, "I threw away the slingshot used in the crimes because I was scared."

Without a particular job, he ordered about 1,000 steel marbles of 7 to 8 mm diameter twice over the past two years via the internet. About 100 steel marbles and a wooden slingshot he carved himself were found in his vehicle during a police search.

Meanwhile, last month in Incheon, a man in his 60s was also arrested for breaking windows of three neighboring homes by shooting steel marbles with a slingshot from a high-rise apartment. During the police investigation, he said, "I was curious about how far the steel marbles would actually fly, so I shot them out of curiosity," and added, "I did not aim at any specific units."

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