Yuma teens arrested after trying viral TikTok Orbeez Challenge

Yuma police arrested four teens attempting the Orbeez Challenge on suspicion of aggravated assault on Sunday night.

Police received reports of the teens shooting unknown objects out of a car window at nearby pedestrians.

Victims reported being hit in a variety of locations; one woman was injured after she was struck in the face, according to police.

The suspect car was traveling north on Fourth Avenue when police located it. Police officers found four teens using a Surge Gel Blaster gun to shoot Orbeez out of the car window at people on the street. The teens ranged from 17 to 19 years old.

There were several thousand rounds of the gel ammunition inside the car, the police said.

All four suspects were booked and charged with aggravated assault.

What is the #OrbeezChallenge?

Some of the Orbeez ammunition found in the car.

This incident appears to be a part of a social media trend called the #OrbeezChallenge. The trend encourages people to use airsoft guns to shoot the small gel beads at people nearby.

Orbeez are squishy, ​​but they can cause injury when shot out of an airsoft gun.

The trend has been circulating for around a week on TikTok and other social media, causing problems nationwide, particularly in Florida. In one incident, a teen was charged with a felony for firing a weapon in a building.

Yuma police said they are taking these calls “seriously,” and asked parents to discuss the dangers with their children.

“While Orbeez are soft to the touch, they can lead to injury and even break the skin when shot from an air powered gun,” Yuma police said in a statement

Reach breaking news intern Jane Florance at [email protected] or on Twitter @Florance_Jane.

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