DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Alarming and dangerous: That's what law enforcement is calling the new TikTok challenge called the "Orbeez challenge."
Challenge participants use gel blaster guns that can be purchased on the internet for $50 to $100.
Now multiple people including a minor in Dearborn have been arrested. One is facing assault charges.
"We've been able to make two arrests as a result of an informed public that has been very mindful, and they're reporting these incidents when they happen," Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said.
Soft to the touch, these gel-like water-absorbent polymer beads pack a powerful punch.
They can pierce the skin and cause severe injuries, especially if you're shot in the eye.
Attacks have happened at Ford Field Park and on Warren Avenue in Dearborn.
"They're going around just shooting people, like a woman walking her daughter, a couple of kids and a FedEx driver," bicyclist Hussein Sareini said.
Sareini is now on high alert.
"I'm worried. We are always bike riding on major roads where it's happening right now," Sareini said.
Pedestrians and bystanders have been hit, and guns have been found in schools and confiscated.
Police are asking parents to warn their kids about this challenge. They are also reaching out to retailers to let them know what is going on.
