Two men were injured after being shot with a BB gun during the 19th annual naked bike ride in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. near the intersection of Temple and Alameda streets, where the event had begun an hour earlier.
According to Officer Charles Miller of the Los Angeles Police Department, the victims suffered lacerations and were treated at the scene. It remains unclear if they were participants in the bike ride, which is part of the World Naked Bike Ride, an international event promoting positive body image and cyclist safety.
The suspect, described as a man dressed in all black and riding a scooter, was arrested and is facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon, among other pending charges. ABC7 reported that the suspect was taken into custody shortly after the incident.
The event, which encourages participants to “ride as bare as you dare,” includes two bike rides of seven and nine miles through downtown Los Angeles. Despite the incident, the event, permitted by the LAPD, drew a large crowd of cyclists who rode either nude or in body paint.
The Daily News noted that the event aims to celebrate cycling and the human body while protesting car culture. The suspect’s name has not been released, and further details about the victims’ conditions have not been disclosed.
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