YUMA, Ariz. — Four young men were arrested on Sunday by authorities in southern Arizona after they allegedly took part in a new challenge that encourages teens to shoot strangers with gel pellets.
The Yuma Police Department said officers received calls at about 11:30 p.m. regarding bystanders who had been shot by projectiles fired out a dark blue Toyota Corolla.
One of the victims reported receiving an injury to their face as a result of being struck by a rubber pellet.
Officers later detained the vehicle and found thousands of gel pellets and a blaster gun inside the car. Four teenagers traveling in the vehicle were arrested and booked into jail on charges of aggravated assault.
EN ESPAÑOL: Arrestan a 4 adolescentes acusados de participar en reto de TikTok al disparar balines de gel a extraños
Yuma police said the teens, between the ages of 17 and 19, may have been partaking in the "Orbeez Challenge."
Named after the soft Orbeez gel balls, the challenge involves videos of young people shooting the pellets with an airsoft gun at strangers.
Other police departments across the country have reported arresting suspects accused of partaking in the challenge, according to NPR.
A 19-year-old in Florida was arrested last week after he allegedly shot gel pellets at an Amazon delivery driver as they were operating a car.
Yuma police encouraged parents to talk with their children about the dangers and consequences involved with this social media trend.
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