Providence Police Investigating Whether Weekend “BB Gun” Assaults Were Part of TikTok Challenge
GoLocalProv News Team
Providence Police Investigating Whether Weekend “BB Gun” Assaults Were Part of TikTok Challenge
As GoLocal reported, victims were shot Saturday night and early Sunday morning in the West End, outside Providence Place Mall, and on College Hill — and that a “dark, older model Toyota sedan” was involved.
“We have some leads,” Providence Police Major David Lapatin told GoLocal on Sunday of investigating the shootings. “And we’re looking into whether or not this is tied to a TikTok challenge.”
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About Challenge
Police in Florida and Georgia are warning their communities of the newest viral TikTok challenge wreaking havoc and causing harm in the area.
The #OrbeezChallenge has teens using a gel-ball gun or an airsoft gun to shoot Obreez- circular water gel beads — at friends or civilians, reported the New York Post this weekend.
While Orbeez are soft to the touch, they can lead to injury and even break the skin when shot from a gun. Some teens have even been caught freezing the water gel beads to increase the impact, according to police.
Concord Police in Massachusetts are investing two recent pellet gun shootings that “may be linked to the troubling TikTok challenge.”
TikTok challenges have come to Rhode Island in recent years.
In October 2021, multiple sources associated with Thompson Middle School in Newport told GoLocal that a bathroom was reportedly damaged as the result of a recent TikTok challenge.
The challenges are called “Devious Licks” on the social media platform and are leading to vandalism in schools in Rhode Island and across the country.
That same month, a threat of a school shooting was reported which Providence Police said was related to another TikTok challenge.
Weekend Violence in Providence
There were a number of incidents of crime in Providence over the weekend reported to police.
As GoLocal reported, man leaving Providence Place Mall Friday night told police he was jumped by a half dozen teenage boys.
He suffered minor injuries and said he had his cell phone stolen.