Shoot the Freak

Shoot the Freak was an attraction on the Riegelmann Boardwalk at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York, USA, that operated from 2000 until its demolition in 2010.

The targets (the "freaks") were unarmed, wore plastic armor, and would taunt and insult the players while dodging paintball fire.

[3] As part of its contract with the New York City government to reconstruct and modernize Coney Island and create a new park called Luna Park, the Italian firm Zamperla tried to coerce several existing Coney Island boardwalk attractions to close or relocate, and Shoot the Freak was among those that refused.

The owner and operator of Shoot the Freak was Anthony Berlingieri, who also owned Beer Island, another Boardwalk business that had been threatened with eviction by Zamperla.

[6] After Superstorm Sandy decimated Coney Island in October 2012, proprietors scrambled to replace the attractions that had been destroyed for the following spring.