Man shot walkers with paintball gun on West Highland Way

A man shot walkers with a paintball gun on the West Highland Way between Glasgow and Carbeth

Anthony Rasmussen shot 47-year-old Miriam Bell during the shooting spree between Glasgow and Carbeth, last June 23.

She thought she had been shot with an air rifle as Rasmussen leaned over the driver of the Audi car he was in and fired six shots, one of which hit Mrs Bell on the hip.

Rasmussen, a father of two, injured 59-year-old Elizabeth Hayes who was also walking on the same route, and shot her twice to the rib cage, on the elbow and side of her face.

He also fired paint at Daniel Malone, 21, in Knightswood, Richard Wood, 63, and Scott Wilkie, 18 in Bearsden, 55-year-old Mary Summers, in Clydebank and at a car in Carbeth during his stint.

Rasmussen, 24, from Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court, to seven charges including shooting Mrs Hayes to her injury.

The court heard between 1.55pm and 4.10pm on June 23 Rasmussen travelled in an Audi car and shot at random members of the public with a paintball gun.

Procurator fiscal depute Lucy Adams said around 3.50pm Mrs Summers was on Duntocher Road, Clydebank with her brother when she heard three loud bangs.

She said: “On the third bang, Mrs Summers felt a pain on the right side of her head in her hairline. She put her hand up to her head where she felt a cold liquid which she initially thought was blood, but then observed it to be yellow paint.”

Referring to the incident involving Mrs Hayes, Miss Adams said she had described seeing “the barrel of a gun” before being shot for the final time.

Police were informed of the all of the incidents and Rasmussen was identified by Mrs Bell using images from CCTV.

He was later arrested and cautioned and charged, and made no reply.

Solicitor advocate Billy Lavelle said: “It’s a serious offence, I don’t shy away from that. However, I am asking for Mr Rasmussen’s bail to be continued notwithstanding his pleas of guilty.”

He said Rasmussen looks after his two young children.

Sheriff Martin Jones QC deferred sentence for reports and continued bail but warned “in all likelihood he’s facing custody”.