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Old Forge bans toy guns in parks

Police said kids have been shooting their peers with toy guns in public parks, leaving welts and marks. Parents spoke up and the borough is making changes.

OLD FORGE, Pa. — Old Forge Police received reports from concerned parents this week, saying their kids had been shot with toy guns in a public park. 

While it may seem like harmless fun to some, investigators said the way these guns were used is a safety risk and can cause serious damage.

Chief Jason Dubernas said an evening of little league baseball at Old Forge Park turned dangerous on Monday night.

Dubernas is the Chief of the Old Forge Police Department.

"We were getting calls about a bunch of kids running around shooting these Orbeez guns," he said. "Throughout the last couple days, we started to learn more that a few months ago, this was actually a TikTok challenge."

Toy guns have become more popular in recent years. 

They're loaded with Orbeez, small colorful gel pellets that expand in water. 

Posts on social media show how these toys can become more sinister. 

When frozen, Orbeez solidifies, shooting out faster and hitting far harder. 

Police say the kids shot in Old Forge Park were hit with frozen Orbeez. 

"It could be close, far away, people are not paying attention, they get shot in the face, shot in the eye," Dubernas said. "The juveniles that had this issue, they were just playing, and they all the sudden, they got hit with something."

Soon, new signs will be posted outside the park gates. 

Dubernas said Old Forge Police are now enforcing a ban on all toy guns in parks and public property. That includes nerf guns, water guns, and Orbeez guns. 

"I feel like these kids are doing this with the intent to hurt other children," said Lindsey Czycyk from Old Forge. "I'm glad that they're getting them away from where they're going to be at, so they can't do that any longer."

Czycyk agreed it's safer for kids to leave the toy guns behind.

"Especially if they look like something that could be a real gun and with how everyone is handling the gun violence that's in the area and in the world, absolutely," she said. "I think that's something that, if they're playing with it, they should stay home."

Dubernas said his department is investigating several incidents involving Orbeez guns that left kids bruised, and that type of attack could result in assault charges.

"This is a projectile that could cause bodily injury to somebody," he said. "Not only kids, elderly, families, because everybody visits our community parks."

"Parents should be talking to their kids about this, the seriousness of what these toy guns can do to other children," Czycyk said.

Dubernas said the new restrictions were okayed by the borough solicitor following this week's incidents. 

Any charges, and the severity of those charges, will be left up to the Lackawanna County District Attorney. 

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