West Seattle Crime Watch: Window in the crosshairs

| Crime | Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

From a Fauntleroy resident who doesn’t want to be identified:

I wanted to report that someone shot at our front picture window in the 9400 block of 45th Avenue SW (Wednesday) evening around 8 pm. Southwest Precinct responded and is investigating. We aren’t clear what was shot, since it’s at least 30-40′ from the street to our window. But our own research shows that BBs can’t shoot more than 15′. We have a double pane picture window, and only the outer pane was pierced, with a tiny dent on the inside of the inner pane.

Needless to say, we are distressed and frustrated. And our kids are spooked. Thanks, just wanted to let our neighbors know.

Sonoma June 16, 2011 (2:31 am)

I’m sorry you and your kids had to deal with this. It is indeed scary. I feel no compassion whatsoever for the jerks who did this.

Under Achiever June 16, 2011 (4:57 am)

Prolly used a wrist rocket sling shot.

Adam June 16, 2011 (5:03 am)

An air rifle could shoot out your window from a hundred yards, easily. What’s the diameter of the hole?

jason June 16, 2011 (5:11 am)

Just to let you know, BB’s can shoot well further than 15′ more on the upwards of a few hundered depending on the gun. If this was an actual gun shot it would have went through both panes very easy. Hope this helps..

Alan June 16, 2011 (6:22 am)

I’m familiar with your street. A (likely random)shot from a car with a BB gun seems most likely. My own research (BB gun owner 40 years ago) would suggest that it could have been a BB gun. The old daisy rifles probably couldn’t have put an eye out, but Crossman has a line of BB guns that will shoot at 6-700 feet per second. That’s enough to puncture tin cans and break glass from a good distance.

bridge to somewhere June 16, 2011 (6:26 am)

Urgh! How frustrating and expensive–sorry this happened to you. A word about BB guns though: BB guns most certainly can shoot BBs well over 30′. In fact, most probably can shoot more than 1000′. When I was a boy I had a Daisy Powerline 880, and that BB gun had a muzzle velocity of 800fps–in other words, it sent BBs out at 800 feet per second. That was a relatively powerful BB gun, but only a grocery store toy BB gun would fire a (plastic) BB less than 30′; almost all others would be able to break a window at 100′.

NinjaRider June 16, 2011 (6:43 am)

Depends on the BB gun; the hotshot ones can shoot a fair piece – 50 yards or more. Anything much bigger than that would’ve carried through both panes.

Agreed with @Sonoma – BB gun or no, that’s nekulturny, and the perp(s) need a good stiff encounter with John Law…

Mark June 16, 2011 (6:48 am)

Perhaps a bird flew into the window?

austin June 16, 2011 (6:55 am)

It’s too bad that this happened, but bb guns can shoot a bb more than fifteen feet.

Phillip June 16, 2011 (7:19 am)

BB guns can shoot far more than 15′. Just sayin’.

And if it were anything else, both panes would’ve been broken.

marty June 16, 2011 (7:51 am)

Probably a pellet gun…

JLBWA June 16, 2011 (8:03 am)

Not sure where, how or what you did your research with, but I know for a fact that BB’s travel farther than 15 feet, and can take out a window past that too…

Dan June 16, 2011 (8:19 am)

I’m sorry to hear it but you should reconsider the bb theory. That sounds like the damage they leave and air powered bb/pellet guns will shoot that far easily.

Kate K June 16, 2011 (9:19 am)

I once had a lawn mower launch a small rock through my living room window. It was sitting right in the middle of the floor when I walked in.

Not saying this is what happened, but it could be something other than a bullet.

rob June 16, 2011 (10:30 am)

at our last house a rock thrown by the neighbor’s lawnmower from across the street broke our living room window.
.
re the range of bb guns, one that couldn’t shoot further than 15′ would be broken or worn out. even a cheap, modern knockoff of a classic daisy can break glass bottles from 50′ easily.

Resident June 16, 2011 (11:10 am)

Thanks everyone. We were in the livingroom around 8pm when it happened and we thought one of our kids had made the noise (very loud). So definitely not a bird or lawnmower! Also appreciate all the insight on BB guns :-) Clearly behind the times on that technology.

Nick June 16, 2011 (11:14 am)

Just a word of advice, BB’s can go way, way further than 15 feet. I have shot out a window on an old car with one before. Sounds like this is a BB incident to me.

B-Squared June 16, 2011 (11:15 am)

My neighbors put out a window in the house behind them while mowing and i put out my neighbors side van window while mowing. had no idea it happened either and it was farther than 15′.

Halyn June 16, 2011 (3:28 pm)

Has anyone mentioned yet that BB guns can shoot more than 15 feet? ;)

Sorry this happened to you..it sucks having scared kids.

bridge to somewhere June 16, 2011 (4:06 pm)

If it helps at all (and it might not), this most likely has absolutely nothing to do with you and more to do with kids/teens/losers having too much time on their hands and stupid ideas of fun. Growing up I knew some kids who shot BBs at cars and windows, and it was utterly random.

Sorry, comment time is over.