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The incident took place in Westport on Saturday, May 28.
The three teens were caught after police received several emergency calls from various locations around town reporting a group of youths traveling in a vehicle had been shooting projectiles at passing pedestrians, said Lt. Anthony Prezioso, of the Westport Police.
In one instance, a juvenile victim reported being struck in the eye, Prezioso said.
Callers were able to provide a detailed description of the vehicle in question. Responding officers began searching the area for the vehicle and were ultimately able to locate and stop the vehicle in the area of Greens Farms Road and Compo Road South, Prezioso said.
The three occupants in the vehicle were quickly identified as juveniles, he said.
During a search, officers located toy airsoft guns capable of firing gel-like projectiles at a high velocity, Prezioso said.
"It was apparent that these youths were participating in a viral TikTok challenge known as the Orbeez Challenge," he added.
All three were taken into custody and charged with multiple counts of:
- Assault
- Reckless endangerment
- Breach of peace
They were released to their parents.
Any other victims from that evening are encouraged to formally report these incidents to the Westport Police Department.
"Please let this arrest serve as a reminder that following social media trends can be extremely dangerous and have consequences," Prezioso said.
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