Port St. Lucie - Friday April 23, 2022: Port St. Lucie Police have arrested a 16 year old juvenile on an aggravated battery charge after he allegedly shot a 16 year old girl in the face with a Splat R Ball gun.
The girl sustained swelling in her eye after she was struck while walking along the side walk in Port St. Lucie on April 18. The shot was fired from the back seat of a passing vehicle. PSL police were able to track down the suspect and recover the Splat R Ball gun from his home. The suspect was taken to the St. Lucie County Juvenile Detention Center.
A Splat R Ball gun is a battery powered water gun that fires soft gel water balls. IT's capable of firing in automatic or semi-automatic mode.
This is the latest in a series of incidents that authorities believe have been prompted by the so-call 'Orbeez Challenge' which has been circulating nationwide on the video-focused social networking service
'TikTok'.
The 'Orbeez Challenge' encourages TikTok users to buy soft gel water balls, load them in air soft guns, and fire them at victims.'
“This challenge can cause injury to others and damage to property," PSL Assistant Chief Richard Del Toro. "PSLPD will investigate these incidents thoroughly and will pursue criminal charges against anyone who participates in this behavior. Please talk to your children about the seriousness of these incidents and partner with us to keep our children and community safe."