Police departments warn of new, dangerous TikTok challenge

File / Pleasanton and Peachtree City PD

Police around the country are warning the public about the newest TikTok challenge: the Gel-pellet challenge. With this challenge, people – including children – inflict injury to each other with toy guns designed to fire gel- or water-based pellets.

“These may look harmless, but Tikok has turned them into a danger to the public,” one police department in Pleasanton advised. “They can be painful and leave a welt.”

The officials went on to say anyone caught using these toy water guns on unsuspecting victims could be arrested and charged with battery.

As if that weren’t enough, another police department in Georgia said people are modifying the beads to be more painful. In their post, Peachtree City police showed a photo of a young boy whose face was bloodied after being attacked by a group of teens who fired modified gel pellets at the victim.

“The police department will be pursuing criminal charges on all persons caught discharging these weapons at other persons on city property,” officials said. “In some cases, it could result in felony charges and parents could also be liable for the actions of their kids.”

The manufacturer of the beads, Orbeez, has responded to the reports.

“Orbeez are designed for educational, creative, and sensory play and are not intended to be used as projectiles or inserted in mechanisms,” they told NPR in an interview.

Officials went on to say their company does not manufacture or sell any type of gun designed to fire its beads, which are intended as sensory toys for children.

Since the challenge began to gain popularity, TikTok has removed and redirected its users from certain videos with the hashtag OrbeezChallenge.