Nine Hurt, Possibly by Blowgun Darts

Drudge | Jul 15 | AP

[SLB]

WASHINGTON- Several drivers in the nation's capital were hit with sharp projectiles, perhaps darts fired from a blowgun.

Police said the incidents occurred between 9:30 and 11:00 p.m., EDT Sunday in neighorhoods across the city. A handful were concentrated along the District's New York Avenue, part of U.S. Route 50, which serves as the city's main northeast gateway for commuters and tourists.

In three cases, the six-inch long, razor-sharp projectiles had to be surgically removed.

There was no evidence the darts had been tainted with chemicals or toxins, authorities said, and none of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries.

Police were looking Monday for as many as three teenagers driving a white Cadillac with tinted windows in connection with the spree.

Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Sgt. Joe Gentile would not confirm the use of a blowgun. He said the pranksters' weapon of choice might also have been some sort of nail dispenser.

[hellinahandcart]

I hope this is not going to be a fad that sweeps the nation...

[2banana]

I think DC should ban all darts and pipes (except to those who are politically connected)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

They've been caught

[SLB]

I would think that returning fire would be justified.

[shadowman99]

It's time to close the blowgun-show loophole! A 10 day waiting period on the purchase of these weapons would cut down on incidents like this.

[Mudboy Slim]

An ol' fraternity brother of mine used to have one of these blowdart contraptions and he'd be able to nail a squirrel from 30 feet. He was a Chemics major, so we used to plant rumors that he used to fill hypodermic needles with various toxins and would go around a Party looking for victims...LOL!! There wasn't the least bit of truth in those rumors, but whenever we partied just a bit too hard the night before and blacked out or got sick, we'd blame it on the blow darts )=^D!!

FReegards...MUD

[wimpycat]

Watch out for the curare.

[katykelly]

Pranksters? Sheesh.

[Khepera]

I make all of my blowguns out of PVC.

[Dakmar]

I was wondering what all that equipment in your garage was for. :-)

[AAABEST]

"blowgun-show loophole!"

lol

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Monica?

[F16Fighter]

Now we've pissed off even the Pigmys.

[Exit148]

"A handful were concentrated along the District's New York Avenue, part of U.S. Route 50, which serves as the city's main northeast gateway for commuters and tourists."

Not one of DC's most attractive or pleasant "gateways".

[Ciexyz]

Those kids, they should get a job. (smile)

[Cachelot]

Now we've pissed off even the Pigmys.

Be vigilant. Report if you see something out of the ordinary.

[Clink]

"Now we've pissed off even the Pigmys"


Careful now, you're profiling.

[Cachelot]

There was no evidence the darts had been tainted with chemicals or toxins

So, how about biologicals?

[MJY1288]

Roflmao

[Khepera]

Yep, potato guns, blow guns, PVC Cannons, Rubber Band guns, I do em all right there. Poison projectiles cost extra.

[apillar]

A friend bought me a blowgun as a gift a couple years back, it was pretty high end as blow guns go, and the long darts that came with it were razor sharp.

It's amazing just how powerful they are, I like to target practice on an old dartboard I have. It is not uncommon for the darts to go all the way through the dartboard

[rintense]

I saw this on Xena last week- except the darts were poisonous.

[Rebelbase]

WOW! A .62 caliber blowgun.

[Rebelbase]

BLOWGUN VELOCITY: The following information is based on a .40 caliber, 1 piece blowgun. When using a .50 caliber you can increase the velocity and accuracy by 25%.

36" accuracy is 100 feet, 200 feet per second
48" accuracy is 150 feet, 250 feet per second.
60" accuracy is 150 feet, 250 feet per second
Every time you add a 24" extension to one of these sizes, you'll be increasing your accuracy by 50 feet and your feet per second by another 150 feet per second.

[F16Fighter]

Those kids, they should get a job."

Yeah -- how about 'Airport Security'?

[F16Fighter]

I think these guys would blend well as Secret Service.

[LonePalm]

Especially the perky Catie Curare.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Consort]

Brady Blowgun Law? Blowgun registration?

[wattsmag2]

Sounds like a full "blown" epidemic.

[F16Fighter]

"Careful now, you're profiling."

What do I know about "profiling"?

I was taught in public school history class about the menacing tribes of 83 year-old white pygmy ladies in wheelchairs who aggressively defend their turf near and around parts of U.S. Route 50.

[Travis McGee]

Damn right. Shoot a six inch long steel dart into me or someone with me and find out how much of a "prank" I consider it. In the "anthrax era" of terrorism, one may presume that any dart is poisoned, and a direct threat to your life. Shoot the bastards.

[Poohbah]

But you should return fire with an appropriate weapon.

Once upon a time, as a young air wing jarhead, I was part of a merry band of young jarheads with more ingenuity on hand than there was official work to be ingenious at. So we came up with the blowgun from Heck. It fire parachute rigger's needles (those things are BIG) using compressed nitrogen from a NAN-2 cart as the propellant. The weapon had a trigger group (actually a valve release) made out of brass in the jet engine shop. We used cut-up IBM punch cards as a combination fin and sabot. A Tasco rifle scope from the Marine Corps Exchange finished off the weapon.

We were bagging rats at 100 meters with our toy...

[LibWhacker]

Would you guys believe blowguns are already outlawed in California? I tried to buy one mailorder 25 years ago and was turned down.

[TC Rider]

Be vigilant. Report if you see something out of the ordinary.

Nice penis gourd.

[hobbes1]

Is that guy in the middle Ol' Dirty Bastard ?

[martin gibson]

Nice penis gourd.

...pen is mightier than the gourd...(he ducks)

[Redbob]

"It's time to close the blowgun-show loophole! A 10 day waiting period on the purchase of these weapons would cut down on incidents like this."

But it's not just the weapons themselves! We've got control the propellants!
Require a license to breathe!

Or do they already do that in D.C.?

[Kermit]

LOL! Where do I get one? Where the rats in the open, out in a field, in a hangar?

[Poohbah]

LOL! Where do I get one?

You need to build the thing up yourself, just like we did. You'll need a nitrogen bottle, hi-pressure hose and valve, a tube that will hold pressure, parachute rigger's needles, IBM cards (cut into cones and glue to the end of the needles), and a valve to regulate discharge.

Where the rats in the open, out in a field, in a hangar?

In the hangar. We had the absolute WORST rat problem you ever saw in our hangar.

[Squantos]

I have a sunroof for just this reason . Windows up , open sky :o)...... When they start lobbing grenades through my roof hatch or busting side windows then I'll get medevil on their persons.......

I had a kid hit me once with a paperclip rubber band conflageration of sorts and it stung like a bee sting.

I gave the little grinning turd a Cold Dr Pepper in the face reverse enema....Ice cup and all. His mommy and daddy were unaware of juniors passtime from the open back window seat and had the tiny-ban terrorist not had a few more pieces of ammo in his pocket I'd been arrested for road rage on a rug rat.

The wet and shivering lineolium lizard was kind of bug eyed when the responding LEO temporarly held my 1911A1 and Seecamp during the roadside investigation while telling the kid if I'd been a bad guy he could have been shot ect ect while I looked as mean and inhuman as possible to sink home the coppers scolding......:o)

Stay Safe !

[Travis McGee]

Makes me wish for an optically aimed suppressed .22 under the chassis aimed sideways at tire level.

[Andy Ross]

[From the same site]

Blowguns? Who cares. I would have LOVED one of these when I was a kid (basing that on the fact that I'd have a great time with one now).

It can shoot 70 feet!? Chasing neighbourhood dogs, neighbours, neighbour's friends, their dogs. The list would be endless.

Andrew

[Squantos]

I remember the South African anti-car jack thing....a flame thrower that fired from the sides........

Not good for the PGP paint on yer ride but even worse on the terrs hide.......:o)

Ahhh Freeper Poetry in the AM !

Stay Safe !

[jae471]

"I'll take 'The Penis Mightier' for 200 Alex" -- SNL

[tracer]

Probably just a practice run in preparation for an overseas trip home to visit the family.....

[N. Theknow]

Someone was cleaning it and didn't know it was loaded.

Then again....9 darts indicates a banana clip and a modified blowgun made to fire in the full automatic mode.

Plans and modification kits are probably available on the internet.

[verity]

Do your calculations take the "spittle supressor" into consideration? :~)

[kennyo]

I've seen these mades by ex-cons.

[Rebelbase]

Depends on if its drool or loogie.