Fall River’s ‘8 Ball Bandit’ Case Is Officially Closed

Only in Fall River could a missing pool ball turn into a full-blown internet escapade.

Straight Shooters Family Billiards on Front Street found itself at the center of a wildly unexpected locally viral moment last week after calling out what they jokingly dubbed “The 8 Ball Bandit.” The incident went down at the popular pool hall at 54 Front Street, where a man enjoying what appears to be some type of fruity cocktail at the bar allegedly helped himself to an 8 ball from a rack that was within striking distance.

And yes, it was all caught in 4K.

Caught on Camera (and CashApp)

The post hit social media on Friday, January 16, around 5:30 p.m., when Straight Shooters posted a video naming the suspect and explaining that while the 8 ball had gone missing, the trail wasn’t exactly cold.

According to the post, the man had CashApp’d the bartender for a drink, conveniently tying his name to the crime scene – and to the security footage.

Almost One Million Views Later…

Within hours, the video took off, racking up nearly one million views, plenty of jokes, and an impressive amount of billiards-related wordplay from commenters who clearly had too much fun with the situation.

The 8 Ball Returns Home

Exactly 24 hours later, Straight Shooters delivered the update everyone was hoping for:

Straight Shooters couldn’t resist one last perfectly-timed punchline.

“Next time we’d prefer if you keep your hands on your own balls," they said.

Case Closed, Chalk It Up to the Internet

No harm done, no charges filed, and the missing 8 ball is back where it belongs at Straight Shooters.

If nothing else, the whole episode proved two things:

Fall River doesn’t miss a beat
The internet will absolutely show up for just about anything unorthodox

Just like that, the legend of the 8 Ball Bandit is officially chalked up as another unforgettable moment in the "We'll Try" city.

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Gallery Credit: Scott Clow