'Orbeez challenge': Florida student allegedly shoots adviser with pellets, now facing serious charge
Florida student accused of shooting school adviser with pellet gun, police say
A student at New Smyrna Beach High School allegedly shot an employee in the face with a pellet gun, recorded the incident, and then posted it to Snapchat, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said. That student is now facing serious charges.
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida high school adviser was shot in the face multiple times by a pellet gun, possibly inspired by the so-called "Orbeez challenge" that has been circulating on social media nationwide, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
The latest incident reportedly happened earlier this week at New Smyrna Beach High School.
Deputies said a school adviser was locking a gate near the faculty parking lot when she was "hit in the face several times and had to blow one of the projectiles out of her nose." However, she was not seriously injured.
A 17-year-old student was identified. He reportedly told police that he was "horseplaying with the blaster gun" that he received during Spring Break. He also told police that he recorded a video and then posted it to Snapchat.
Authorities have released that Snapchat video, which appears to show the alleged student shooting the employee from inside his vehicle.
"Hey Ms. (redacted)," the person in the video asks the person standing outside the video. "How are you girl?"
"You good?" The student then fires the gun in rapid succession, followed by an audible laugh, the video shows.
That student is now potentially facing a charge of battery on a school employee, authorities said.
Law enforcement agencies have been dealing with similar incidents across the country.
"The idiot. I hope his parents are proud of him – posts on social media what he did. He’s subsequently been arrested," said Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
Last week, a mother was out on a walk with her baby when she was struck in the arm by the gel beads. That incident was captured by a nearby Ring doorbell system. Another video was captured from an Amazon worker's onboard camera that showed someone firing out of their vehicle.
"What's gonna happen here is they're modifying these things or using pellet guns. Someone who doesn’t have Orbeez in their gun -- someone with lead – is gonna turn around and return fire and then I’ll have a dead teenager," Sheriff Chitood added.
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