TikTok Gel Gun Challenge Leads to Arrest of 6 Teen Pranksters

The Draper police in Utah have arrested six teenagers who were caught pranking strangers with airsoft guns loaded with Orbeez gel balls for the TikTok Gel Gun Challenge.

According to KSL 5, eight teenagers walked into a local restaurant and the nearby Orson Smith Trailhead and then open-fired with their airsoft guns using gel pellets. However, two other kids were able to get away before the police made their arrests.

One victim thought the kids were carrying actual guns when she was hit at the back of her neck. However, she also said that the fear she felt was real and suggested that someone should talk to these teenagers about gun violence and gun safety.

What's the TikTok Gel Gun Challenge?

Airsoft or paintball guns look like real firearms. While the device uses small paintball bullets, some kids prefer to insert frozen hard gel beads from Orbeez to get more laughs for their TikTok gel gun challenge, which is also called the #OrbeezChallenge, according to the New York Post.

Indeed, heaps of the TikTok gel gun challenge videos show teenagers enjoying and laughing as they have a "shootout" with their friends. However, the danger in this viral challenge is that some of the kids use this to prank unsuspecting targets.

Miles away from Utah, the police in Florida and Georgia have also arrested teenagers splattering their Orbeez bullets towards strangers. A victim in Florida told the cops that the gel bullet left her face injured, while another victim, who works as a delivery driver, said that he was hit while driving.

The Florida police also accosted 17- to 18-year-old teens whose car crashed after they had a shootout. Locals said some kids had been emboldened to do "drive-by shootings" because of this challenge.

In Georgia, a child riding his bike had welts on his torso and face after someone made him the target. This prompted the local police to issue a warning on social media, saying that parents may be held responsible for the actions of their teenagers. They also reminded the public that shooting airsoft gun toys with harmful bullets outside of a recreational facility violates a few city ordinances.

Marketing Gone Wrong?

According to NPR, people may have been encouraged to do the TikTok gel gun challenge, likely because Orbeez has been advertising their latest product on their official site and using #OrbeezChallenge.

Following the controversy, Spin Master, the makers of Orbeez, issued a statement stating that their gel balls are designed only for "educational, creative, and sensory play." The company also reiterated its commitment to making high-quality toys for children and families.

The company clarified that they neither make nor sell airsoft guns nor recommend using Orbeez for these adult toys. Their gel balls are not supposed to be inserted in mechanisms like an airsoft gun, nor should they be used as bullets.