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US: 2 Orlando men competed to see who could hit more aircraft with lasers

Two Orlando men, who had just bought new laser pointers, aimed them into the sky to test the beams’ distance. Bystanders told them to point at airplanes, so the men began a competition to see who could target more aircraft.

The contest took place on July 7 2015. One of the aircraft was a Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Ground officers arrested Rolando Espinoza, 22, and Shannan Winemiller, 21. Espinoza told deputies “he thought he heard that it’s illegal to point lasers at airplanes, but he wasn’t sure at the time.” Each man was charged with pointing a laser light at a driver or pilot, a third degree felony in Florida.

From January 1 to July 7 2015, there were 47 laser/aircraft incidents reported to the FBI in Central and Southwest Florida. Sixteen of these were in the Orlando area.

Rolando Espinoza laser Shannan Winemiller laser
Rolando Espinoza, left, and Shannan Winemiller


From the Orlando Sentinel