Influencer ‘XenaThe Witch’ arrested after shooting stranger with a paintball gun for live stream prank
XenaTheWitch, a popular Kick livestreamer, was arrested in Austin on Wednesday following a viral incident where she allegedly shot a woman with a paintball gun during a scavenger hunt.
The alleged incident happened on August 9 around 5:55 p.m. near 2200 South Lakeshore Boulevard along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, police said.
Amaris Sampson, 29, better known as XenaTheWitch, was taking part in a $30,000 scavenger hunt organized by fellow streamer Paul “Ice Poseidon” Denino.
Live footage from the event allegedly shows Sampson shooting a paintball gun at a woman who did not appear to be involved in the hunt or wearing any protective gear. The woman told officers she was in pain and injured after being shot in the thigh.
“Yeah, she f****** shot me. It was one of them girls,” the victim can be heard saying in the viral video.
“I don’t give a f***,” Sampson is said to have responded.
Following the incident, Austin Police Department issued a warrant for Sampson’s arrest. She was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked into the Travis County Jail. Police said Sampson deliberately or knowingly injured the victim by firing a paintball at them, and that she acted recklessly by discharging the paintball gun in a public area without taking proper safety measures, endangering others.
Sampson faces assault with bodily injury and deadly conduct charges, both Class A misdemeanors.
Sampson has since deleted her Kick account, which had over 37,000 followers before the incident. She has also been banned from the platform.
Fans shared their disappointment in Sampson on Reddit, X, Instagram, and beyond.
“The things people do for clout because they think it’s ‘funny,’” one person tweeted.
“Yep! That will do it lol. You got what you deserve,” another agreed.
A third person wrote, “Clout chasing by these streamers is going to start actually getting people hurt and maybe even wiped out.”
Sampson has a history of controversial behavior. In a January livestream, her cameraman allegedly stole an Uber driver’s phone and threw it under his car. In November 2023, she faced criticism for urinating out of her room window to attract viewers.
