Couple High On Bath Salts Arrested For Firing Gun At Fireflies, Thinking They Were Alien Lasers

A Pennsylvania couple thought they were saving the world from an alien invasion, but instead ended up in jail.

In Clinton County, state troopers say a couple got high on bath salts and then had a “bad trip” that led them to believe fireflies in the night sky were actually green lasers from aliens who were coming to kill them. As WBOY reported, 30-year-old Jesse Shields and 22-year-old Katherine McCloskey grew frightened by what they thought was an alien attack, leading Shields to fire his revolver in the air in an attempt to scare away the invaders.

A neighbor heard the gunshots and called the police. While the caller was talking to the 911 dispatcher, Shields allegedly broke a window in the home, then went to a neighbor’s house where he broke another window.

The owner of the home was able to take the gun away from Shields, WBOY reported, and the 30-year-old then asked if he could take a shower to get burning “goo” off of his body.

This is not the first case of a bizarre crime while the person is suspected to be under the influence of bath salts. In 2016, a 19-year-old Florida man was accused of randomly stabbing a couple to death outside their home while under the influence of the powerful drug. As the Miami Herald reported, alleged attacker Austin Harrouff was then accused of biting off chunks of the dead man’s face.

Police tried a stun gun and K-9 dog to stop the attack but were unable to get the man to stop eating the face of his victim. It eventually took four deputies to pry the teenager off the dead man, the report noted.

The teenager, who was a former high school wrestler and football defensive lineman, was reportedly agitated in the hours leading up to the slayings. Family members said he stormed off during dinner at a nearby restaurant after he grew angry with the slow service, Syracuse.com reported.

The attack came just four years after another famous bath salts-related attack, where a man killed a stranger and then ate the victim’s face. That led to a rash of stories about the dangers of the drug, which is often cheaper and more readily available than other hard drugs.

A Pennsylvania man was arrested on Saturday after firing his revolver into the air while high on bath salts. Police say he was aiming at fireflies because he thought they were green lasers coming from aliens. https://t.co/jmpcIG15c0

— The Trace (@teamtrace) July 5, 2018

The couple who tried to shoot fireflies during a bath salts-induced hysteria now faces charges of burglary, criminal trespass, public intoxication, and disorderly conduct. They are being held in the Clinton County jail.