A former Palmetto Bay Councilman, David Singer, is urging for greater police action after being struck in the eye with a water bead gun, a modified water pellet weapon, which resulted in severe injury. In an incident at his home last Friday, Singer was hit in the eye while standing in his driveway alongside his son and the latter's friends; the assault by the water beads was captured on the family's Ring camera, which portrayed the drive-by style attack on the 8300 block of Southwest 154th Terrace, as reported by WSVN.
Singer, 62, contends that since the shooting, he has been forced to undergo daily hospital visits for his injury, revealing that doctors have warned him of potential glaucoma and blindness in the affected eye, "I couldn’t see out of my eye for two days," he said "I mean, it was like staring at a white wall," he told WSVN, in his frustration he also noted the Palmetto Bay Police's alleged lack of thoroughness with the investigation and expressed consternation over the shooters not yet being apprehended, stating, "Kids make mistakes, right? So I don’t want to ruin the kids’ lives, but it’s more upsetting to me, literally right now, that the police are not, the Palmetto Bay Police are not being more thorough with in their investigation and the kids haven’t been arrested."
The Miami-Dade Police, responsible for policing the Village of Palmetto Bay, have yet to make any arrests; they claim there is not enough probable cause to prove that the offending kids intended to seriously harm Singer or anyone else present, despite Singer's previous experiences with law enforcement when his own son faced felony battery charges after a separate incident involving a teen teammate, a fact that has, no doubt, sharpened his resolve for justice as "These kids, basically, shot my eye out, OK? And the police department wants to charge them with a misdemeanor, which is absolutely crazy in my book," Singer said according to WSVN.
Adding to the narrative, during an interview with Local 10 News, Singer questioned the possibility that the incident was related to a high school prank, hinting at a TikTok challenge but remaining uncertain, saying "Not that I’m aware of," and "You’d have to ask them. I mean, it could be. I heard there’s a TikTok challenge," suggesting an air of irresponsibility possibly fueled by social media theatrics. Singer also lamented the absence of acknowledgment or apology from the assailants or their guardians which conflicts with his own ethos of accountability, as he has historically apologized when his son was at fault noting "I’ve always had the moral and ethical obligation when my son screws up to talk to the parents and apologize, whether it’s school or anything," as Local 10 News reported.
Although Singer sustained a serious eye injury from this assault, the water-based gel bullets, employed in SplatRBall guns, typically do not cause significant bodily harm; however, incidents like this which target sensitive areas can result in life-changing injuries, and Singer is persisting in his calls for legal repercussions for the youths involved.
