YORKTOWN, Va. — It’s a trend York County deputies say they are seeing more and more: teens misusing "Orbeez guns."
Orbeez guns are similar to water guns but with gel beads inside. The toys are often marketed to children.
“Obviously, if you’re going to use [the toy gun] in the manner that it was intended, you could have some fun shooting at targets," York County Sheriff Ron Montgomery said.
But not everyone uses the toy gun properly in York County, according to the sheriff.
Just last week, deputies arrested a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man for shooting the gel beads while driving along Water Street in Yorktown. Sheriff Montgomery said one of those beads nearly hit a man in the eye.
“This thing can fire a projectile of 200 feet per second. So, I would say that if it struck his eye actually, it could have been a serious injury.”
Deputies say the 17-year-old is charged with assault and 20-year-old Kamari Laquan is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Sheriff Montgomery said this isn’t his first encounter with Orbeez-type guns.
“We have had at least a couple of incidents in the Yorktown area, in the area of the parking garage, where we had reports of similar type activity where people were being hit with these types of projectiles and getting minor injuries.”
The sheriff says he’s seen an uptick in people shoplifting the toys, too. He urged people who play with the toy guns to use them properly or face the consequences.
“If you engage in this type of activity in York County, you’re going to face criminal charges," Sheriff Montgomery said.