Three people from Germany were reported for shooting paintballs at signs, toilets and garbage containers throughout Joshua Tree National Park.

According to the National Park Service, the incident occurred over the weekend.

The agency said a park ranger patrolling the Jumbo Rocks Campground noticed fresh yellow paintball splatters on buildings and signs.

Police officers were called to the campground to investigate further and found a slingshot in a vehicle. After questioning, the park visitors admitted to firing paintballs the night before using a compressed paintball gun (also called a paintball marker) and slingshots.

The rangers searched their vehicle and seized three slingshots, a paintball marker, paintballs and other related equipment as evidence.

Rangers also learned that at least 11 road signs along Park Boulevard from the Jumbo Rocks campground to the Maze Trailhead, two miles from the park’s west entrance, had been shot with yellow paintballs.

Law enforcement has served each individual with a federal violation for vandalism, damage, or destruction of property. 36 CFR, Chapter 1, Part 1, 1.4. The violation carries a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or a maximum of six months in prison.

Paintball markers and slingshots are legally considered weapons and are prohibited on lands managed by the National Park Service.

“Defacement or alteration of the NPS landscape, no matter how small, is against the law,” said Jeff Filosa, assistant chief ranger of Joshua Tree National Park. “It damages the natural environment that millions of people around the world come to enjoy. The park must regularly remove graffiti of all kinds, which takes time and resources that could be better spent on other priorities.”

Park maintenance personnel conduct cleanup operations in the park.