IRVING, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) – Local police departments are warning parents and teens about the potential dangers of the latest viral social media trend that’s gaining traction on TikTok.
The trend involves people between the ages of 15 and 21 using pellet guns to shoot each other with gel, plastic, or metal beads. Police said it’s meant a to be a game but warn that things could turn quickly. They’re worried someone might think these toy guns are real and return fire.
“Just because you see something on TikTok or on a social media trend, don’t think that it means it’s okay and you should go participate and do it,” Irving Police Public Information Officer Robert Reeves said. “There’s a lot of things shared on social media that are illegal, that can get you into a lot of trouble”
Irving Police said that they have already responded to a dozen incidents related to this trend.
“We noticed through the schools and in our patrol division that we were starting to respond to calls involving people randomly getting shot or shot by somebody that they knew,” Reeves said.
Some of these incidents took place on schools and public places. “All of these are illegal to possess on school campuses. Air guns and BB guns are illegal in the city of Irving for anyone under the age of 18,” Reeves said.
Police said these guns might look fake, but they shoot at high velocity and can cause significant injuries. In Irving, two people have been seriously hurt so far.
“Some of this stuff has become very serious. You know, shooting somebody with that is assault. If they have a serious injury, you’re looking at an aggravated assault charge, which is a felony,” Reeves said.
Irving isn’t the only police department seeing this. Several other local police departments have seen people playing the game. Some believe there could be an influx in calls as summer nears.
Police are offering advice to parents. “If your child is living with you, you definitely need to be involved enough to maybe know what’s going on,” Reeves said. “If they have their own car, you’re still the parent. You can go out there and make sure. Have these conversations.”