We got a tip from residents on Dove Avenue of some juveniles supposedly shooting at some passersby with a pellet gun. So we reached out to Miami Springs Police Chief, Armando Guzman, to find out what happened.
The good news is that kids were NOT shooting a pellet gun at passersby. However, on the evening of Wednesday, June 22nd, police responded to a pellet gun “shooting” call. Miami Springs Police were able to locate the juveniles in the area of Hook Square. Miami Springs Police detained the juveniles who did NOT have a pellet gun. Instead, they had what’s called an “Orbeez Water Gel Gun.”
The Orbeez shoots a gel ball that expands when added to water. You can see the process listed below. You add the gel balls. Fill the container with water. Then after 3-4 hours, the gel balls expand with water.
As Chief Guzman explained in an email, “This shoots a water bead similar but not as hard as a paint ball gun.” The “toy” is intended for kids over 12 years old and it’s recommended that participants wear eye protection to prevent getting injured from a high speed projectile hitting your eye.
According to Chief Guzman, “The victims were not struck and did not want to press any charges.” Nevertheless, there’s a thing called the “Orbeez TikTok Challenge” where teens go out and randomly shoot at people with the Orbeez Water Gels.
According to Chief Guzman, “The parents [of the juveniles] were contacted and responded to the scene. They were advised of the seriousness of the situation and they took custody of their children.”
Bottom line, you can’t just shoot at people with a paintball gun, water gel gun, or any such gun, unless they are actively participating with you in the activity. You can’t just shoot strangers with a water gel gun. It is potentially dangerous and could be considered assault.
