A 77-year-old Dutch man has been arrested for firing an air gun at children throwing snowballs at the windows of his home, a national news agency reported on Tuesday.
ANP said a 13-year-old boy was hit in the finger.
The man began firing after the boys refused to stop throwing snow. His gun has been confiscated by police.
Public opinion divided over the incident, but there was strong sympathy for the old man.
"I personally don't blame the guy. We have had squadrons of 'youths' coming around thinking it's just ok to throw snowballs at peoples windows," one blogger wrote.
Another suggested, "at 77 years of age he may well be mentally near enough on the same level as the teenagers," but far physically weaker - "have they arrested, and more importantly, re-educated the teenagers for persecuting him?"
THE HAGUE, January 5 (RIA Novosti)
