Festus Police are investigating recent reports about a group of young men allegedly driving around in a red car and shooting at people with with air guns filled with frozen Orbeez water beads, Chief Tim Lewis said.
He said no serious injuries have been reported, but in one case a 48-year-old Festus woman was shot with one of the beads just below her right eye.
“The Orbeez, they can sting,” Lewis said.
That incident occurred March 14 at the pickleball courts at Jokerst Memorial Park, Lewis said.
“On March 15, a girl was walking in Briarwood Estates subdivision and was shot,” he said. “She was hit in the arm. She said it was a group of young males in a red car, possibly a Mustang.”
Lewis said the young men reportedly got out of the car to shoot the guns.
The incidents are similar to news reports about the “Orbeez Challenge,” which is trending on TikTok and other social media and apparently has inspired people to fire Orbeez water beads or gel pellets at people.
Anyone with information about the attacks in Festus is urged to call Festus Police at 636-937-3646.