Orbeez Shooting Threat At County Fair Puts Police On Alert: SPD

SARASOTA, FL — Law enforcement agencies are investigating an unsubstantiated threat of a shooting planned at the Sarasota County Fair Saturday night, Sarasota police shared in a Facebook post.

The Sarasota County Fair, taking place at 3000 Ringling Blvd. in Sarasota, kicked off Friday and runs through March 27.

Police said the threat might involve the use of Orbeez guns, which are toy guns that shoot soft-gel beads.

The use of these guns has recently gained popularity because of a social media trend known as the “Orbeez Challenge” on TikTok, which encourages shooting at others with these pellets.

“While they are considered to be a toy, they could cause injury,” Sarasota police said.

According to the threat, three people from Manatee County have targeted three individuals and plan to shoot them at the fair, police said.

Related Stories:

• Orbeez TikTok Challenge Prompts Warning From FL Law Enforcement
• 15-Year-Old Faces Felony Charges In Sarasota County Fair Shooting
• After Shooting, County Fair Plans New Weapons Screening Process

Police stressed that Saturday’s shooting threat targets specific people.

“It is not alleged to be a random event,” SPD wrote. “As state, it is a threat towards these three specific people not the fair itself.”

The agency’s intelligence unit and detective division are following up on leads related to the threats and are working closely with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.

Because of the threat, Sarasota police have increased their presence at the fair on Saturday evening and have asked the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s drone unit for assistance.

There will also be magnetometers at each entry point and the fair has private security, which has been notified of the threat, police added.

At the 2021 county fair, a 15-year-old shot and injured an 18-year-old during an argument between two groups.

This caused the Sarasota County Fair to reevaluate its weapons screening process and bring in new technology that uses artificial intelligence weapons detection algorithms to instantly detect and identify a person carrying a weapon.