Montgomery County police on Thursday arrested an 18-year-old Paint Branch High School student in connection with six alleged pellet gun assaults in the Briggs Chaney area of Silver Spring.
Tyler Neal, 18, of the 3800 block of Angleton Court in Burtonsville, was arrested at the high school after police received a tip that he had committed the assaults, which occurred between Jan. 16 and Jan. 29. School officials discovered a pellet gun in his backpack and Neal “made partial admissions of guilt” when interviewed by detectives, according to a police press release.
Neal was charged with first-degree assault, four counts of second-degree assault, possession of a dangerous weapon on school property, and four counts of felony malicious destruction of property, according to police. He is being held without bail at the Montgomery County Detention Center in Rockville.
According to police, Neal was charged in connection with the following incidents:
- Jan. 16: The front windshield of a vehicle parked in the 13800 block of Castle Boulevard was damaged by pellet gun rounds.
- Jan. 17: A 31-year-old man was driving his vehicle on Columbia Pike in the area of Briggs Chaney Road when his front passenger door window was shattered by a pellet gun round.
- Jan. 23: A 38-year-old man was shot in the cheek with a pellet gun as he pumped gas at the Exxon Gas Station located at 3050 Briggs Chaney Road. The victim’s vehicle was also damaged by pellet gun rounds.
- Jan. 23: A 53-year-old man was shot at by a pellet gun in the parking lot of shopping center located in the 13800 block of Outlet Drive. The victim was not injured. His vehicle was damaged by pellet gun rounds.
- Jan. 29: A 39-year-old female was shot in the leg with a pellet gun and a 37-year-old female was shot in the upper body in the parking lot of shopping center located in the 13800 block of Outlet Drive.
- Jan. 29: A 41-year-old male was shot in the arm by pellet gun rounds as he loaded items into his vehicle parked in the 14100 block of Aldora Circle. The victim’s vehicle was also struck multiple times by rounds from the pellet gun.
An image of the pellet gun police said was found on Neal. Credit: Montgomery County police