Police: Elderly ‘Serial Slingshot Shooter’ Dies After Being Arrested for Terrorizing California Neighbors

An 81-year-old man accused of terrorizing his neighbors with a slingshot for years has died at a home in Azusa, California.

The news comes one day after Prince Raymond King was charged with using the weapon to damage his neighbors’ property, the Los Angeles Daily News reported on Thursday.

When law enforcement officers received a call early Wednesday about a possible dead individual at the North Soldano Avenue residence — whose owner is unknown — they found King inside the dwelling.

However, they “didn’t find any evidence of foul play,” Sgt. Nick Covarrubias explained.

Police described the man as a “serial slingshot shooter” who was recently arrested after decades of incidents that happened on the 900 block of North Enid Avenue, Breitbart News reported Saturday.

Authorities said he was accused of breaking windows and windshields and almost hitting people with ball bearings. According to NBC LA, one neighbor claimed her cat was also targeted:

Britannica defines a slingshot as a hand weapon used in early warfare. “It consisted of a small strap or socket of leather to which two cords were attached,” the website reads:

The warrior, or slinger, held the ends of the cords in one hand, placed the missile snugly in the strap, and whirled the socket and missile rapidly around his head; by letting go of one cord at the right moment, the slinger could let the missile fly out of the socket at a high speed.

Per the Daily News report, the medical examiner’s office said King died of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

“While police suspected King of vandalizing windows in his neighborhood for about a decade, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged him with vandalism…from October 2021 to May 2024,” the outlet said.

Before officers served a search warrant, they reportedly saw the man use a slingshot and later found one inside his home, along with numerous ball bearings.

Before his death, King was released on his own recognizance. He was also not allowed to stay at his home, have any deadly weapons or a slingshot, and was mandated to stay 200 yards away from the affected homes and have no contact with the alleged victims, according to ABC 7.