Watch: Man runs for his life in another paintball attack
A paintball-gun-wielding vigilante is on the loose in Middelburg, with two incidents of assault reported this week.
Shortly after 38-year-old Mervin Da Costa came forward to report a vicious assault he alleges was committed by members of a local community watch group, a video was sent to the Middelburg Observer showing a paintball attack on a second victim.
The CCTV footage was provided to the Middelburg Observer anonymously, with the source reporting that the incident took place in Buller Street, Dennesig, on May 15.
In the footage, a man can be seen running for his life and screaming in fear and pain, as a dark coloured double-cab bakkie drives slowly behind him, firing a volley of shots of what is suspected to be a paintball gun.
Several bangs can be heard in the footage.
While the source says that the incident occurred on May 15, the date and time stamp on the video shows that the incident was recorded at 02:42 on the morning of May 14.
Mervin Da Costa turned to the Middelburg Observer with the hopes that members of the public could assist in identifying his attackers, after he too was assaulted and shot with a paintball gun.
Da Costa was walking to the Sasol Garage at 23:30 on Sunday night in Springbok Street, when a white Toyota Etios and a charcoal grey coloured Ford Ranger approached him.
The driver of the Ford stopped to inquire where Da Costa was headed, and after telling the driver he was headed to the garage, the driver suddenly whipped out a paintball gun, aimed it at his face at close range, and opened fire.
Da Costa could identify his attacker as a short and stocky man with dark hair and a beard, and alleges that the shooter is a member of a local community watch group.
He also alleges that he was assaulted with fists at some point during the attack.
Da Costa has opened a case at the Middelburg Police Station, with the hope of bringing his attackers to book.
@middelburgobserver Man runs, yelling in pain and fear, as the occupants of a bakkie shoot at him with a suspected paintball gun. The incident occurred in Buller Lane, Dennesig.
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Man assaulted, shot in act of vigilantism
