Social media has quickly spread several viral challenges over the past several years. Now police are fighting to get ahead of the curve of a dangerous new shooting trend called the Orbeez Challenge.
Innocent people are getting hurt from new Orbeez Challenge, cops say
The name sounds innocuous, but cops say the Orbeez Challenge is causing actual harm across the nation to innocent bystanders who are being targeted, and they are trying to get the word out before more people get hurt.
Police have seen a rise in injuries after previous viral challenges like the Tide Pods challenge, the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, and the cinnamon challenge. Authorities across the US are concerned this latest social media trend is gaining significant traction on TikTok, and it is more dangerous than those engaging in it realize, NPR reports.
What is the Orbeez Challenge?
It’s named after a toy of the same name, the Orbeez Challenge, which creates colorful, non-toxic water beads. The toy is harmless. But it’s what people are doing with a product of these toys that have become dangerous.
The challenge of this toy is not the same as the challenge that is going viral. Teenagers are using an airsoft or gel-ball blaster gun to fire the polymer gel beads created by the toy randomly at people, often filming the incident.
Incidents leading to serious injuries for victims, cops charging perpetrators with assault
On Tuesday, Dearborn, Michigan police arrested a teenager, who they charged with assault for imitating the trend, Fox reported.
Last week, authorities arrested a 19-year-old in Deltona who shot an Amazon delivery driver, striking the man’s glasses and neck while he was driving.
Even though the gel balls are so soft to the touch, they can cause serious harm and break the skin, especially when fired from an air-powered gun. Children were shot in a park in Georgia and came away bloodied. The offenders were charged with aggravated assault.
Four teens were arrested in Pennsylvania for firing on a group of students at a medical school, and in Florida, a woman was struck while walking her child.
Yuma, Arizona, police arrested four teens, ages 17-19, on suspicion of aggravated assault, who fired from a car window on Sunday night, AZCentral reported. Eighteen in Florida were also charged with a felony for firing a weapon in a building.
A mother and daughter from Georgetown, Kentucky, were hurt, one seriously, CBS reported. Georgetown Police Assistant Chief said they had reports of teens driving through neighborhoods, shooting out car windows, damaging vehicles, etc.
Another danger authorities say is that these toy guns can look like real firearms, which could put them in danger of being shot by other public members or by police.
