Parents concerned that children may have shot Orbeez

TOLEDO, Ohio — Residents in the Beverly neighborhood in south Toledo reported seeing a group of children walking around the neighborhood with fake guns and shooting frozen Orbeez beads at strangers.

A parent took to Facebook and expressed concerns about the situation on a local Beverly page.

Other members of the page also commented, agreeing with the parent.

Beverly resident April Rumschlag said she and other parents in the neighborhood feel conflicted because they want their children to have a fun summer, but they don't want them to become a target.

“If my kids wanted to come to the park, we would usually be fine with that,” Rumschlag said. “But with what’s happening right now, I’m a little more worried.”

Residents said children freeze these little beads, making the impact harder when they pull them.

Another Beverly resident, Gary Prater, said he saw one of the children with an Orbeez gun walking down the street and feared the situation would escalate.

“People don’t like guns and carrying them around even if it’s a toy,” Prater said. “They get a little funny and try to be funny and other people don’t take it that way.”

A parent who did not want to speak on camera said they also saw the children walking around the neighborhood, targeting innocent children and passersby.

“It’s only sad because the parents know about it and they don’t care,” the parent said. “I wonder, what are they going to do once they have a real gun in their hands?”

One of the residents said he spoke with one of the child's parents in hopes of convincing him to stop.

Another resident said in the Facebook post that he had filed a police report.

WTOL 11 has not yet learned from the Toledo Police Department if this report has been received.