The FBI’s Newark, New Jersey, office on Monday evening called on residents not to shoot or shine lasers at objects in the sky amid a spate of drone sightings across the region in recent weeks that have prompted alarm among elected officials.
In a statement, the FBI said that both the bureau and New Jersey State Police are alerting residents “about an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS),” or drones.