Southlake police ask parents to talk to their teens as Orbeez shootings rise
Southlake police are asking families to sit down with their kids after dealing with eight reports of people being shot by Orbeez guns this year.
Most of the shootings have occurred in Southlake Town Square, according to Southlake DPS.
Orbeez guns shoot gel water balls. Sometimes, the pellets inside are frozen to cause more pain, according to Southlake DPS.
A photo posted by Southlake DPS showed two Orbeez guns that have been used in its offenses. One is an orange and blue gun that looks like a Nerf gun. The other is black and eerily resembles an assault rifle.
“This is a fantastic time to sit your teen down and remind them of a few things,” the post from Southlake DPS reads. “Like this is Texas. People carry real guns here and someone might feel compelled to use one if they believe they or their families are being shot and attacked. It’s virtually impossible to tell the difference between an Orbeez gun from a real gun at night or from a moving vehicle. Our victims have only seen the suspects holding a gun and then they’re getting shot.”
The issue isn’t just singular to Southlake or Texas. Incidences with Orbeez have popped up in Keller, Fort Worth and Colleyville too, according to multiple Nextdoor posts. Reports have also surfaced everywhere from Pennsylvania to Florida.
Look up “Orbeez Challenge” on TikTok, where the trend originated, and you’ll find no results, but a warning.
“This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines,” the search page will read.
Representatives with Fort Worth, Grapevine and Colleyville police said they had not had any Orbeez offenses reported to their office. Representatives from Keller didn’t immediately return an email Friday or phone message requesting comment Friday afternoon.
The police department asked parents to remind their children of the consequences that can come as a result of shooting people with Orbeez. Shooting an Orbeez gun at a person or thing can result in property damage, assault and injury. All those crimes can land teen in jail and result in prosecution, even if they’re under 17, the post reads.
