San Jose Serial Pellet Gun Shooter May Have Targeted Women

San Jose police are asking other possible victims to come forward following the arrest of a suspected serial pellet gun shooter.

Nicholas Montoya, 38, of Campbell, is accused of shooting lead pellets from a high-powered rifle in at least seven incidents reported between April and June.

“These were not childish pranks with a low-power weapon,” Santa Clara County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Marisa McKeown said. “These were deliberate snipe attacks on innocent victims.”

Some of those victims may have to walk around with pellets embedded in their bodies for the rest of their lives, investigators said.

A father of one of the victims during a news briefing held by police on Thursday said physicians were unable to remove the pellet “because it would cause more complications.”

A vehicle description and evidence connecting the suspect to the crimes helped police nab Montoya. Police said he was very calculated as he carried out the attacks. It is not clear if there is any connection between the suspect and victims, but investigators have questioned whether Montoya was specifically targeting women.

“I have to believe he could have shot anyone out there he wanted to, but instead he shot six females, one of which was a 9-year-old girl and the one male that he struck was with a female,” San Jose Police Capt. Jason Dwyer said. “So we speculated that possibly he was shooting at her and hit him instead.”

Montoya could face 21 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

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