Man Accused Of Firing Paintballs At Stockton Gay Nightclub Patrons Arrested

STOCKTON (CBS13) — Stockton Police have arrested a suspect in the paintball shooting of a gay nightclub on the same night as the Orlando nightclub shooting.

Brandon Staples, 19, was arrested for the June 12 attack police are calling a hate crime.

RELATED: Stockton LGBT Nightclub Patrons Pelted With Paintballs

Officers were following up on a separate incident involving threats directed at St. Mary's High School staff through social media on June 7 when they came across Staples. He was detained in Lodi.

Investigators recovered the paintball gun they say was used in the shooting.

Staples is accused of firing paintballs at people leaving an LGBT nightclub at around 1:45 a.m. on June 12. A 26-year-old woman told deputies she was hit in the arm by two paint balls.  A 27-year-old man told deputies he was shot in the back by a paintball.

The shooting happened the same night that 49 people were killed in an Orlando gay nightclub, but police say the incidents are unrelated.