Motorist shoots pedestrian with arrow

Philadelphia Enquirer ^ | September 26, 2003 | Benjamin Y. Lowe

[Dog Gone]

Police in West Chester are looking for an assailant they believe used a crossbow to shoot a pedestrian from a passing SUV.

The victim, a restaurant worker who was walking home along High Street early Sunday morning, was shot in the stomach with a 16-inch hunting arrow. He was released Wednesday from the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

Benito Vargas told police he was at the corner of High and Barnard Streets at about 1 a.m. when he saw the white SUV's driver-side window slide down, revealing the front part a crossbow just inside. Seconds later, he was lying on the ground.

The driver sped off, heading south on High Street, Vargas told police.

Police said Vargas, 48, of the 100 block of West Barnard Street, had just completed a shift as a dishwasher at the Turks Head Inn.

Police said yesterday that they had no witnesses to the attack. They hope to find the archer by matching him with the arrow. Police said the red, broad-head-tipped arrow has a 14-inch shaft and razor tip of about 2 inches. It's a type generally used for hunting animals, police said.

"This thing would be silent. You wouldn't hear any noise," West Chester Detective Thomas Yarnall said. "Only thing that may have been seen was a car speeding off down High Street. But at that time, probably several cars go down... that street."

Yarnall said the shooting appeared random, and that no additional shootings had occurred since then. He said Vargas told police there were four men in the car, but that he was not able to provide their descriptions.

Yarnall, who has worked in the borough for more than 30 years, said this was the first time he had investigated someone being shot with an arrow.

Pedestrians, many of whom are college students, frequently walk along High Street, one of West Chester's main thoroughfares, to get downtown from campus.

Anyone with information is asked to call West Chester police at 610-696-2700.

[Dog Gone]

My hunch?

[Pharmboy]

Random? Targeting Hispanics? I hope a couple tips bring these sickos in...fast.

[ARCADIA]

"This thing would be silent. You wouldn't hear any noise,"

Obviously, the officer has never fired a crossbow. They tend to make a load cracking sound, like a bullwhip.

[Cicero]

Yuppies and their toys.

[CapnMcK]

Well with all this foolishness about "gun control" what do you expect 'em to do? They gotta use something for those drive-by shootings. And if the nanny state bans crossbows, they'll just have to figure out something else. It could have been worse, though. In the middle ages, when crossbows were widely used, they also used a lot of boiling oil. Now, THAT would be messy!

[thegreatbeast]

Dips*s who do something like this probably wouldn't have thought to wipe their prints from the arrow. I think this gets solved relatively quickly. Mr. Vargas is a lucky man.

[supercat]

Do crossbows really fire arrows? I thought they fired bolts.

[wimpycat]

When bows and arrows are outlawed, only outlaws will...oh, never mind.


Will innocent pedestrians start getting scalped next?

[Dog Gone]

Well, they fire bolts in all the computer games I've played. I've never owned a crossbow, so I don't think I'm an authority.

[Pharmboy]

Methinks you are correct, sir.

[Bitman]

They tend to make a load cracking sound, like a bullwhip

I don't know what model you shoot, but mine is as quiet as the day is long...

[CurlyDave]

Do crossbows really fire arrows? I thought they fired bolts.

I always thought they fired either bolts or quarrels. However, a quick search of websites for modern crossbows indicates they now fire arrows.

[Will_Zurmacht]

you are correct sir!
The bolt fired from the SUV probably only did 1d4 damage, but the poor victim was easily hit due to his poor armor class....
as this attack took place in the evening we should be looking for elvish archers using their infravision...
b@stards!

[tiamat]

LOL!

Hey! He's just lucky it wasn't a +2 crossbow!

Tia

( I know what you did in college! ;->)

[Redcoat LI]

I blame the S.U.V,they are out to get us all.

[oldironsides]

Philadelphia Inquirer. Actually this is a nice college town
and West Barnard is a fairly nice area. Some college rentals mixed with private older homes. My guess is drunk high schoolers from the "on strike" West Chester School District. Just a hunch.

[Clinging Bitterly]

I chain my 454 Suburban up at night. A bit of an inconvenience, but it's for the chilldren.

[Otis Mukinfus]

Sounds like the cops don't know much about primative weapons...

[ARCADIA]

mine is as quiet as the day is long...

It was a 150Lb Barrett; but, that was a couple of decades back.

What's next; will they be harpooning people with spear guns and dragging them off to unknown locations?

Those evil SUVs must be stopped.