LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — Reports of the so-called social media "Orbeez Shooting Challenge" are popping up in northern Virginia and in Frederick County
Our affiliate ABC7 says multiple reports of the challenge, which involves using to Orbeez toy guns to do "drive-by shootings" and chase people with the squishy beads.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide have warned about the new social media challenge. In Arizona, a police department is partnering with the local school district to address it.
The challenge isbased on the popular live-action game "Assassin."
In Frederick County, these random acts happen when many students are on their way home from school. According to the Frederick County sheriff’s office, these incidents don't lead to injury, but they still cause pain, fear and panic.
The Loudoun County Sheriff's Office in Virginia reported at least 11 incidents recently of Orbeez gun shootings, said 7News. Similar incidents were reported in Arlington.
The Sheriff's Office told 7News:
"These gel ball blasters (they have many names) can shoot over 100 feet and a velocity up to 200 feet per second. The gel beads come in different hardness levels as well. A quick search on Amazon shows that many of these “toys” look a lot like a real firearm and if painted all black can be mistaken as a real firearm."
