The Farmington Police Department is doing its part to warn the community about a new TikTok challenge among teenagers involving toy guns and water beads that is taking the internet by storm.
The viral trend, known as the "Orbeez Challenge," started online but has now made its way to Farmington, New Mexico.
"They're filming themselves going out in the public and using these, they're like miniature paintballs and shooting other kids with them or random citizens," Lt. Richard Gibbons of the Farmington Police Department, told KOB 4 this week.
It's a dangerous activity because children are making changes to toy guns, including painting the object black, so that the fake weapon looks real, Gibbons said in the news report.
The toy guns are then filled with water beads known as "Orbeez" and used to shoot at each other and innocent people, the report said. But since the toys look real, the game can cause a lot of confusion and terrify people who don't know the weapon is a fake.
Additionally, having to respond to calls that ultimately turn out to be for fake weapons wastes the police department's time and already limited resources, the report said.
Farmington police have received only one report about the challenge so far, but the department recently tweeted a warning to children that should they choose to participate in the "Orbeez Challenge" by shooting at unsuspecting people, they could face criminal charges as a result of their actions, the report said.