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Teenage girl is shot in face during drive-by gun attack

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Published Date: 26 January 2008
By CHRIS MARSHALL
A TEENAGE girl was shot in the face with a pellet gun during a drive-by shooting in the Capital.
Arabella McDonald, 18, was walking with her boyfriend in Portobello when the shot was fired from a white Transit van.

The shopworker, who is on her gap year before going to university, was left shaken and police are now checking CCTV footage in an attempt to catch her attacker.

Miss McDonald, who lives in Morningside, was catching a bus with her boyfriend on Abercorn Terrace at around 1pm on Thursday when the shot hit her on the lip. She said: "They're obviously idiots and don't know the damage they could cause. I was lucky it didn't hit me in the eye.

"It was extremely painful. The only reason we know it was a pellet was because we found it on the ground.

"It was really sore and I didn't know what had happened at first."

Boyfriend Jordan McDonald, a 19-year-old student at Edinburgh University, said his girlfriend had been left in shock.

"I looked up and saw this white van coming towards us," he said. "Next thing I heard was a sort of bang and saw the pellet fall from her face.

"She almost started crying because she thought it had broken her tooth. She got a massive lump straightaway and she was really upset."

He added: "They must have thought it was funny – they saw a happy couple and then they aimed at our faces."

The couple, who got together four years ago while students at George Watson's College, immediately contacted police following the incident.

Mr McDonald's mother, Angela, said the young couple were thankful that they remained largely unscathed.

The 48-year-old guesthouse owner said: "I think it was awful and quite scary for them. It could have taken her eye out, which is frightening.

"The police have told us that they are going to study CCTV footage. We just hope this doesn't happen to anyone else."

Lothian and Borders Police are looking for two men in connection with the attack.

A police spokesman said the van was driving west on Abercorn Terrace at the time and was later seen on Portobello High Street.

"We ask for anyone who may have seen the van or anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward," he added.

Last week, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced plans for a summit to be held in Edinburgh in an attempt to reform the law on air guns.

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  • Last Updated: 26 January 2008 1:59 PM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Airguns
 
1

TSynicto the core,

Bellshill.Saltireland 26/01/2008 12:27:42
There is only one remedy for this or any other criminal activity.
ZERO TOLERANCE, ZERO TOLERANCE, ZERO TOLERANCE.
2

alex paterson,

embra 26/01/2008 14:17:42
Mindless idiots dont care about anyone but themselves,this girl is very lucky not to be hit on the eye,a ban on all guns like these is whats needed.
3

earnabob,

26/01/2008 15:08:48
I agree this is unacceptable.
While a ban on guns is the first knee jerk response always, I have to say I've used air weapons all my life and have never found the need to shoot anyone.
A tight control on who can buy them is much more useful.
A register on them is also a must.
If the police catch who is responsible they should prosecute these sorts of crimes as they would for firearms, not rank airweapons as less dangerous.
I know they are not less dangerous as I know one rifle I used to own would have been able to shatter her cheekbone at least from 20 yards - despite being a legal non-fac weapon.
4

brettgallacher,

edinburgh 26/01/2008 15:26:25
earnabob how would youknow it could crack her cheekbone at 20 yards unless you have tried it out give any one caught with a gun or knife 50years in jail a real jail that is not the hotels we have
5

earnabob,

26/01/2008 15:31:34
Some of us grew up in the countryside where hunting small game is normal for teenagers.
I know because I used to legally hunt animals and know what one of the pellets did when hitting hard objects like bone - for instance a rabbit shot in the head would have it's skull shattered, by this i mean multiple fragments radiating from the hit site across the whole skull.
I was also shot by accident once and had to dig the pellet out as it went at least a quarter inch into my leg, this was through jeans too.
You can also look up ballistic information online if you are really interested
6

Douglas,

Bathgate 26/01/2008 16:16:32
4999 fewer crimes in Lothians?
7

jennilou,

edinburgh 26/01/2008 16:23:34
If air guns were already banned then this poor girl would probably have been hit in the face with something fired from a gutty instead. It's not the weapon that's dangerous, it's the people that are dangerous. Let's not ban air guns, let's just control them properly. I had fun as a child shooting tin cans with my brothers air pistol. I too never had the urge to shoot at a person. I never shot at any animals either but I understand the countryside, man, hunter gatherer thing earnabob. lol.
8

Lesley,

EDINBURGH 26/01/2008 16:49:54
Douglas - you read my mind!
9

Duncan in Edinburgh,

26/01/2008 17:28:43
#6 and #8 I despair. This is the WHOLE problem encapsulated right here. You read this, one of many stories of crimes, and you think crime is getting worse every day.

But you read a factual analysis by the people who know the truth - the police - which says that despite the increase in media coverage of crime, the incidence of crime is still dropping, and you don't believe it.

What is your problem? Are you so easily swayed by the EEN's journalism? Are you so mistrusting of the police? Do you prefer to read about perhaps five different crimes in a newspaper and then decide that we must be in a crime wave?

The fact that crime is dropping does not mean it has stopped happening; but it IS dropping.
10

Road Raga,

EDINBURGH 26/01/2008 17:37:53
Someone once said that if you read about it in the newspapers, then don't worry about it, as it is obviously such a rare event to make it newsworthy.
Makes sense to me !
11

gus1940,

Edinburgh 26/01/2008 17:45:00
If it was driving west on Abercorn Terrace it didn't have much option other than to go along Portobello High Street.

A statement of the b---dy obvious by the police.

12

hassan i sabbah,

edinburgh 26/01/2008 17:54:06
brettgallacher I'll bet YOU would know how to deal with these miscreants,Eh brett!!
13

Dood,

26/01/2008 20:23:01
#7 - Exactly.

LET'S BAN THE PEOPLE!!!!!!
14

is it me?,

Outer Mongolia 26/01/2008 21:03:38
#11
A statement of the b...dy brainless by gus.
(street map anorak that he is).
15

Euan,

Edinburgh 27/01/2008 00:30:24
The morons who fired at this young girl are nothing more than sad, pathetic COWARDS.

I sincerely hope they are caught and severely dealt with.

You SCUM.
16

Ghost Of Scotland Past,

27/01/2008 00:32:18
Duncan 6) & 8) Maths is pretty poor. The figure of 5000
fewer crimes for a period last year is immutable, as it is in the past. This stupidity contributes one minor crime to the current period, which further knocks their
negativity on the head as it is reported and is being investigated, and I dare say they will locate the culprits this time.
And to the boyfriend, don't try to understand these idiots thought nothing they lack such a capability.
17

Bascule,

Glesga for today 27/01/2008 09:21:11
Has anyone noticed that, when a perpetrator of a 'gun crime' is apprehended, they almost invariably have a council estate address? Could there possibly be a link between general criminality, intellectual capacity and upbringing?
18

Douglas,

Bathgate 27/01/2008 11:00:08
#9 Duncan in Edinburgh: Thanks for all that. Do you have the time officer.
19

Allan(handofgod137),

27/01/2008 11:56:59
So by









So by "pellet gun" we mean a toy which fires plastic pellets with about as much force as a pea shooter. Another misleading anti gun article.







20

Who let the dogs out?,

27/01/2008 12:46:49
Look at that guys face, i'm sure the pellet was meant for him
21

Bascule,

27/01/2008 13:11:32
#19. Sorry, I missed that. So, to definitions and a reality check. Was she shot with a pellet from an 'airsoft' weapon (i.e a plastic ball from a toy), a pellet from an air gun (i.e. a lead pellet from a spring or compressed air weapon), or something else entirely.
If it was the first then, fired from a passing vehicle, it would have caused no injury other than a small sting. If the latter, the gimp that fired it should be held down, birched and probated.

The whole episode doesn't seem worthy of a single thought, let alone column inches, and would seem to indicate a 'no-news' day, with an idle journo scoring points for the anti-gun lobby so that they may perform their standard little hissy-fit.
22

daywalker,

west edinburgh 27/01/2008 14:26:01
it`s a shame slug guns cant be band.... this could have been mutch worse.. all the best Arabella
23

rossthelab,

Embra 27/01/2008 15:27:01
Number 17, Bascule.
Has anyone noticed that when someone makes a prejudiced and offensive class based remark about working class people living on council estates it invariabley comes from an arrogant and overly priveledged private school educated, middle class snob? Who is so ignorant they have no concept of 'council estate' people having any level of morality or decency.
Interesting, as this surely suggests that anyone living outside of a 'council estate' would never dream of doing anything wrong.
Bascule - ALL crime everywhere is committed by a 'council estate' person!!!!!
watch out!!!
24

Brandon the airgun champion,

Canada 27/01/2008 17:32:29
Its really crazy when people with the intent to wound use and abuse recreational weapons to hurt others.

Find the perpotraters , prosecute them and lock them up!!
25

Julian,

EDINBURGH 27/01/2008 17:44:08
Brettgallacher # 4

"give any one caught with a gun or knife 50years in jail"

That's a really useful contribution to the debate. So you're going to have people like me banged up for the rest of our lives because we carried a swiss army knife around with us on occassion.

And while we're on the subject, what the hell harm does someone do by carrying a knife?

What's your next great idea? Electric chair for hash users?
26

Julian,

EDINBURGH 27/01/2008 17:52:55
Biascule # 21,

If there's people in my city firing objects at other people's faces which cause them to think their tooth has been broken and a considerable swelling of the upper lip, that's something I want to read about.

Not only that. I also want a follow up story as to what the Police are doing about it.
27

is it me?,

in de ghetto 27/01/2008 20:54:10
#22 daywalker
I tink dat Slug Guns be a great name for a band. Much better dan de Mutch Worse yo menshun.
All de best.
Nitesleeper
28

Bascule,

27/01/2008 22:11:19
#17 The voice of true ignorance shines through. Thank you, though. I laughed so much that I almost spilled my champagne (that's the expensive stuff, not the one that you can afford).
29

James (1),

28/01/2008 08:05:32
#21 what is Bascule? Answer:- Bascule is a tool or can be a slow witted person but most likely a clown who does not appreciate the seriousness of a situation yet can form an opinion which confirms a lack of intelligence and understanding which it tries to put forward as a reasonable argument. The end result showing others its stupidity.
There you go, calling you an tube on a public forum did not hurt did it?
You surely would not report this as unsuitable, after all we must be allowed to speak the truth!
30

Gozo Bill,

Portobello 28/01/2008 09:29:11
No.21 James

How unkind of you to be so rude to another contributor. Bascule is speaking his mind and voicing his opinion. I think that you are severely overestimating the importance of this story, which is, after all, exactly why it was printed.
31

James (1),

28/01/2008 15:24:22
#30 you are right I was rude but my opinion is it did not hurt him and could be compared to being shot in the face with a pellet gun. Where's the harm?

I assume the person shot was lying because it was said "She almost started crying because she thought it had broken her tooth. She got a massive lump straightaway and she was really upset."

Where was her sense of humour?

No, I take it back I was not rude I was just being accurate about someone. Anyway no one is hurt by my post so why are you complaining about it? I am just applying Bascule logic! Please stop making him out to be a victim.
32

Bascule,

30/01/2008 17:16:21
James, James, I would never seek to have an opinion removed. That's what makes this forum so much fun.

I may lack empathy, but my comments are against the level and accuracy of reportage. You are a rude boy in making a personal attack, but I forgive you. I am not hurt; not even wounded.
33

jimb4abobor2,

edinburgh 09/03/2008 03:40:52
i had an air rifle when young never shot at anyone though, but then again we respected our elders where it be parents or anyone 1year older than yourself. but it's terrible.the goverment or law needs to realise that a prison is for punishment not a holiday camp this means loss of privilages a cell your meals and a walk round 3 times a day and a work party then cell lights out at 9pm. until the punishment fits the crime im afraid it can only get worse not better.i reckon if crime continues at the current rate then we will all be like the wild west all over again the fastest draw wins? bring back the bortal camps and national service

 

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