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Hoverboard Shootings: Yes, It's a New Thing

By Ephrat Livni, Esq. on March 09, 2016 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

You've heard of the getaway car and even the getaway bicycle but what about the getaway hoverboard? The first known hoverboard getaway was successfully completed last week, and now one more mode of transport presents for fleeing criminals.

Dallas, Texas police said that a man on a hoverboard rolled by a car, shot at the driver, and rolled away, eluding police. The shooting occurred in the wee hours of the morning, and there is no news yet on the shooter's whereabouts. Dallas police told Time last week that the investigation is ongoing.

The Hoverboard Story

Hoverboards have been in the news a lot, and usually it's bad news. The boards have been bursting into flames and recently the Consumer Safety Protection Commission recommended that all hoverboard manufacturers recall their products until they can be tested and proven safe.

As of last month, no hoverboard out on the market is considered safe. The issue thus far has mostly been flammability. To the extent that hoverboards have been connected to crime it has been because the boards themselves were stolen. Last week's story out of Texas is then the first known use of a hoverboard in crime.

Hoverboard Shootings

Although the hoverboard as getaway vehicle was a first, as far as is known, it is not the first time someone was shot from a hoverboard, according to the Associated Press. A Florida teen accidentally shot his cousin and killed him last month!

The incident occurred in Orlando, Florida. The teen on the hoverboard, who for some reason also had a gun in his hands, said he lost his balance and accidentally shot his cousin in the back of the head. The cousin, 13, was playing Xbox when he was shot.

Although the young man, 18, was not charged for the shooting, the gun owner was. Walter Morame was reportedly not at home when the incident occurred but he was arrested later for possession of a weapon by a felon.

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