LAGRANGE, Ga. — LaGrange Police are asking people to put their guns down -- including fake ones. Their message comes as they say they've noticed a new social media trend causing trouble.
Officers with the LaGrange Police Department said they have been receiving several calls reporting a person with a gun. Some of these calls have included people reporting that they have been shot with Orbeez, commonly known as water beads.
Police said this has been a trend on social media. It calls on people to point their water bead gun at strangers and see if they can hit their target. Authorities say these toy guns often look like real firearms.
"The LaGrange Police Department cannot stress enough the dangers involved in these activities. Pointing a gun, real or fake, at someone can result in dire consequences," the agency said in a Facebook post.
LPD also posted a photograph of one of the guns officers confiscated from a person. Police said the person painted the toy gun black and silver to make it look like a real firearm. It was originally gray, red, and orange, according to authorities.
"This person was lucky; they complied with the officer’s commands and were not met with deadly force," the post read.
Officers are calling on parents and guardians to speak with their children about these reports and to dissuade them from engaging in this behavior.
"Please discuss the dangers with your children. Check to see if they have any of these guns and please dispose of them," police said. "One of the most painful things a police officer has to do in their career is telling a family that their loved one is dead."