|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Authorities charged a 17-year-old suspect on Monday after a Jewish pedestrian was shot with gel pellets from a passing vehicle in Teaneck, New Jersey, the previous evening.
Police said the incident happened Sunday evening near West Englewood Avenue. A 19-year-old Jewish resident of Teaneck was walking in the area around 6:10 p.m. A black sedan pulled up beside him and someone inside the car asked whether he supported “Israel or Palestine.”
The man did not respond and continued walking. Moments later, a passenger allegedly fired a gel pellet gun from the vehicle. Several pellets struck the victim in the upper body. The vehicle then drove away from the scene.
Later that night, the same car returned to the scene. The victim told police that someone again fired gel pellets from the vehicle. He was not injured during the second encounter.
Responding police officers found small orange gel beads on the ground. The pellets matched ammunition used in “Orbeez-style” gel pellet guns, which fire small water-absorbing gel beads often used in toy blasters.
The victim told investigators he believed the attackers targeted him because of his visible Jewish religious clothing and background.
Detectives reviewed video footage recorded by the victim. They also used automated license-plate reader cameras to identify the vehicle.
Investigators later located the car at the owner’s residence. Police then stopped the vehicle and arrested the 17-year-old male driver. Officers recovered a gel pellet gun, a water gun, and a container of gel pellets from inside the car.
Authorities filed a juvenile delinquency complaint against the suspect. The charges include bias intimidation, simple assault, conspiracy, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Police transferred the teen to the Bergen County Juvenile Detention Center. The investigation remains ongoing. Detectives are working to identify the other individuals who were inside the vehicle.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact the Teaneck Police Department or Bergen County Crime Stoppers.
Jewish Federation Statement on Antisemitic Incident in Teaneck pic.twitter.com/Tle2g9vKWP
— JFNNJ 🇮🇱 (@JFNNJ) March 9, 2026
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
