Joliet police investigate paintball attack

JOLIET, Ill. (WLS) -- Joliet police are investigating a paintball attack whose victim says there have been other similar incidents and they're not just harmless pranks.

Joseph Kezerle, 64, says the attack happened Monday evening outside his home on the west side of Joliet. He says he was nearly hit in the eye by paintballs fired from a passing car. He sustained injuries including a large welt on his forearm and another welt on his collarbone, inches from his face. He's still fuming about the attack.

"Anger. Just rage-type anger," Kezerle says he feels. "Probably, if you were looking at my eyes, they would have probably been red."

Kezerle says he was alone, with his head down, using a trimmer to groom his lawn when a car stopped at this intersection a few feet away.

"I felt a hit," he says. "I thought it was something off the weed-eater. It couldn't have been a half-second later, I got hit in the shoulder. And the car drove off. And that was it."

Kezerle says he was told by Joliet police the orange paintballs that broke his skin had likely been fired from a gun with its velocity set to high. He also says investigators told him others have been targeted, including an elderly woman.

"What's wrong with these people?" he says. "I felt violated. I should feel safe in my own yard. This place is like 'Chiraq: Joliet edition' now."

Kezerle says he got a look at the vehicle that sped away, describing it as a medium-sized grey or silver four-door sedan, possibly a Buick.