An Ottawa woman was shot with a paint ball gun while she was jogging last night in Kanata. Police arrested a teenager, seized the gun and charged him with assault with a weapon.

It happened around 9:15 close to March Road, near the corner of McKinley Drive and Shirley’s Brook.  Erin Blaskie was running her usual circuit along these Kanata streets when she heard what sounded like a hammering noise.

“When you live in suburbia you don't think this kind of thing will happen to you,” says Blaskie, “and that's why it took me a few minutes to place what was happening.”

Blaskie, who grew up around pellet guns, suddenly realized someone was shooting at her.

“This felt intentional and I explained that to the police as well that this felt like I was being followed and hunted.”

She felt 6 or 7 shots whiz by her.  She started zigzagging and headed for the bushes across the street.

“My only thought was, don't let my legs give out and run as fast as I could so I did, I ran and ducked into the first spot that I could.”

Blaskie called police.  They told her to go somewhere safe.  A short time later, they arrested a teenage boy, seized his paint ball gun and charged him with assault with a weapon. Just last week, a 60 year old man was shot in the arm by a pellet gun while kayaking at Mooney's Bay.  Police are still looking for four young people believed responsible for that.

Ottawa Police say pellet and paint ball guns can be dangerous because of the high velocity of the shots and are considered firearms under the law. 

Sonia Talbot knows that full well.  Her Kanata house was targeted this January. It cost her more than $3-thousand dollars to replace the windows and siding destroyed by pellets.

"I was terrified, really terrified,” recalls Sonia Talbot, “It felt like someone was trying to harm us.”

The psychological damage for the victims goes deeper.  Their message to parents is to monitor how their kids are using these guns before there are tragic consequences.

“Any misuse of that weapon can have criminal charges attached to that,” says Blaskie.  “It's not just for fun, it can be turned into something more deadly.”