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ST. PETERSBURG - Three juveniles were arrested last week after several people in Pinellas Point's Pink Streets neighborhood reported being shot with a pellet gun. One of the people shot sustained a serious neck wound, police said.
The juveniles also admitted using a baseball bat to bash in the rear windows of a 1995 Volvo and a 2003 Honda Odyssey van, police said.
The vandalism and assault apparently were random acts. No one was deliberately targeted, police said.
Police filed several charges, including criminal mischief, felony criminal mischief, aggravated assault and aggravated battery. The suspects, two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old, aren't being identified because of their age.
"They started out shooting at cans in the back yard, then to street signs, then small animals, and finally at people," police spokesman George Kajtsa said.
Three people reported being shot Nov. 2 and Nov. 3. Joseph Schultz, 29, and Ron Russ, 39, were each hit in a leg.
Tessa Meyer, 23, received the most serious wound when a pellet or BB struck her in the neck. She was sitting in her driveway when a shot came from a passing vehicle, police said.
"Apparently it was a pretty serious wound," Kajtsa said. The projectile lodged near Meyer's trachea and she was treated at Bayfront Medical Center.
"The injury was considered life-threatening," Kajtsa said.
A break in the case came when some construction workers were fired on and chased the shooters.
None of the victims could be reached for comment this week.
The suspects were evaluated by the Juvenile Assessment Center, where a spokeswoman said policy does not permit verifying whether the juveniles have been confined.